Out of Your Mind
by Loopstagirl
Summary: They can defy the odds and snatch people from the jaws of death on a daily basis. But sometimes, not all dangers come in a physical form.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to their respective owners.**_  
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**As per usual, a massive thank you to Bee for being such an amazing beta. The amount of things that would have just "brushed past" me without you! Thank you, you star!**

**Enjoy!**

_He was floating on the ocean, staring at the sky and just letting the water take his weight. All was peaceful, and he could have quite happily drifted off to sleep, just floating along. Something brushed past his arm and a hand lazily moved, believing it to be a piece of seaweed. But instead of feeling the slippery vegetation, it was something cold and heavy that his hand touched. _

_Gordon flipped into an upright position until he was treading water, looking about him to see what it was that he had felt. The sight that greeted him almost caused him to slip straight under the water, swallowing some and coughing harshly as he took in the sight with wide, scared eyes. It wasn't seaweed that had hit him, it was a hand. The ocean was full of bodies, all floating along where he had been. Somehow, they were all looking directly at him, wide, sightless eyes staring at him in an accusing manner. _

_"No..." He tried to push himself backwards, to swim away, but he was surrounded by the dead, blocking him and leaving him with no way to return to the land._

_"It's all your fault. You could have saved us." The voice was that of a young child, a girl of no more than six. She was the closest to Gordon, looking at him with the same accusations in her stare as the others. But she was also crying, the same tears that had been running down her face as Gordon had fought to get close to her before death had snatched her away. She had exactly the same expression on her face now as she did then, apart from the hatred in her eyes._

"_I tried! I couldn't get to you..."  
_

"_You should have tried harder!" _

_Gordon suddenly felt more hands around him, holding onto his legs and slowly, almost lovingly, drawing him under the water. He struggled to get free, fighting to get to the surface, but the hands were relentless in their grip. The water he had grown up loving was slowly killing him as he tried to breathe, but only sucked in a mouthful of the salty ocean..._

"No!"

With a yell, Gordon sat bolt upright, breathing heavily and sweating. For a moment, he just collapsed back against his pillows, letting his arm flop over his eyes as he tried to banish the images of the nightmare. He guessed that he should have seen it coming, should have known that there was no way his night was going to be peaceful. Five rescues in four days. It was enough to exhaust anyone physically, and the catastrophe of the third rescue was still playing heavily on his mind. It had turned into more of a body collection than an actual rescue. The disaster had happened so quickly, by the time the call of distress had been put through and International Rescue were on their way, it was too late.

Just another reason why Gordon hated flash floods with a vengeance.

But not everyone had been dead when they arrived. Gordon had spotted the little girl from a distance and immediately leapt into the churning water despite Scott's furious shout behind him. He had been close enough to reach her hand, to take her to safety, when a branch that had been broken off by the storm came rushing through the water, striking him on the side of the head and tearing him away from her terrified grasp. He had come round in Two's sickbay with Virgil standing over him, dripping wet, with a scowl on his face but relief in his eyes. No one else had spotted the girl, but Gordon had found her body three hours later.

He should have been able to save her!

With a sigh, Gordon swung his legs off his bed and stood up, pulling his sweat-drenched t-shirt off at the same time. Throwing it into the corner of his room, he didn't even bother getting a new one or turning on the light as he left his room. Alan's bedroom light was still on, and without thinking what he was doing, Gordon pushed the door open with one hand and stepped into the chaos that was his little brother's room. Climbing over piles of clutter on the floor, Gordon perched on the edge of Alan's bed, smirking down at his sibling. Alan was sprawled on his stomach, taking up nearly every inch of the bed, but his heavy breathing showed that he was managing to sleep. He hadn't come on that rescue. Whilst all the others had resulted in the normal tiredness that accompanied a mission, the fact that people had walked away with their lives meant that it didn't have the same emotional strain. By sheer luck, the youngest member of the family had been saved from that.

Knowing that Alan had no idea he was there – he could sleep as deeply as Virgil when he was tired – Gordon ran a hand through his brother's hair and tugged the covers up again before heading to the door. Hearing a muffled grumble, he turned just in time to see Alan kick said covers off again, turning in his sleep as he did so and causing a fond smile to cross Gordon's face. It seemed that his little brother really hadn't changed as he had grown up.

Padding quietly down the hallway, Gordon resisted the urge to turn on every light as he passed. He had never understood how John managed to creep around in the dark so easily, and there was a tense moment where he stubbed his toe outside of Scott's door. Gordon was convinced that his brother would have been out of his bedroom like a shot considering the language that slipped from the water-loving Tracy's mouth, but all was quiet. Blowing out a low breath in disbelief at his luck, Gordon continued his unusually quiet journey through the house and down the stairs. He was heading towards the kitchen when he realised there was a still a light on in the room.

Pushing the door open, he couldn't help but grin slightly. He should have known that he wouldn't have been the only one up, given how late it had been when they had arrived home from the rescue. Considering the adrenaline rush that had still been pumping through him, Gordon was surprised that he had managed to fall asleep at all.

Both Scott and Virgil were in the kitchen, but the video-screen was active and showing John looking just as dishevelled as his earth-bound brothers. The blond had a mug cradled in his hands and his feet up on the control panel, a thin blanket resting over his shoulders indicating that the space station was much cooler than the tropical island. Gordon let his eyes drift to the other two after a tight smile at his brother, noting that they too had mugs in their hands. Scott caught his eye, grinned, and pushed an almost full and still hot mug of hot chocolate towards Gordon.

"Thought you might need it," he said softly, his eyes bouncing between his three younger brothers, concern spiralling within.

"H...how did you know I'd be down?" Gordon muttered through a yawn, hitching himself onto the counter and cradling the mug. The temperature on the island might have indicated that such a warm drink was not the best of ideas, but the comfort it offered – and always had done – made any temperature worthwhile.

"Virgil's only been here ten minutes, he heard you mumbling on the way down." Scott stretched out his hand and ruffled Virgil's hair. The artist had his head cushioned on his arms on the table, hands still wrapped around his own mug despite his unusual position. He barely had his eyes open, but Gordon could see the same look in his brother's eyes that he knew was present in his own. It was why nothing had been said as to why he was walking around the house at three in the morning. It was also why he hadn't even blinked at seeing three other brothers also up. It was the look of someone haunted.

"Have you even been to bed?" Gordon questioned Scott, rolling his eyes slightly when the eldest shook his head, in turn glancing at John.

"Someone needed company."

"I told you I'm fine, that you should have got some rest," John protested, but Gordon could read his brother's body language. He believed that John would have put up a fight when he realised that Scott had no intention of going to bed, but he was also relieved when his big brother had refused to cave. John didn't have the luxury of something even as simple as a friendly punch on the arm.

Virgil, however, was watching Gordon.

"Who was it?"

Gordon dropped his gaze and swallowed hard.

"The girl."

"Gords, you nearly died trying to get to her..."

"I know, I know," Gordon broke through Virgil's reasonable tone, part of him wondering how someone so tired could sound so logical at this time in the morning. He knew that he had tried; he knew that he could have gotten himself killed trying to reach her. But that didn't make it any better, didn't stop the nightmares. "How about you?"

"The old man."

"The priest guy?"

Virgil nodded, sitting up slightly and staring into the depths of his cup as if he was contemplating death by chocolate. That might have been John's way out, but it wasn't Virgil's.

"He squeezed my hand, blessed us, and then just gave up. Why the hell did he give up? I could have got him out of there!" Virgil's voice had taken on a hurt and slightly angry tone, causing Scott to reach out his hand and squeeze the back of his neck comfortingly. For a moment, it looked as if Virgil was going to protest, not wanting his brother to try and make him feel any better because, as with Gordon, it didn't banish the demons of the night.

"If you had been trying to get him out, you would have never heard the kid. He knew he was visible and the child wasn't, so got your attention to bring you over to make sure the boy was found."

"I could have saved them both!"

"Virg, stop." Scott's hand tightened again on Virgil's neck, only this time in slight warning. Virgil sighed deeply, sinking back down until he was resting on the table and nodded. It didn't matter that he had just used the same reasoning to try and get Gordon to relax; the Tracys were all too similar when the mood took them.

"How's Brains coming along with the updates for Four, Gords?"

John's question took Gordon completely by surprise; he had been too busy watching the interaction between Virgil and Scott. For a moment, he just blinked in astonishment at John, wondering why on earth he was choosing some god-forsaken time in the morning when none of them were in the mood to ask. But then he looked properly at John's expression. He was finding it just as hard as the rest of them, having to listen to everything over the comms whilst his brothers were faced with death at every turn. But because there was no one up there to force him to snap out of thinking about what they could have done differently, he was doing the only thing he could. He changed the subject.

Surprisingly, it didn't take long for the mood in the kitchen to change dramatically as petty arguments sprang up about whose turn it was to receive an update first. Gordon caught Virgil's eye and smiled softly, getting an equally restrained nod back in response. No, neither of them was okay. No, there was nothing the other could do to make the haunted look in their eyes disappear, or to banish the nightmares back to where they had come from. But they understood that and knew it was the same for both of them. They would carry on as normal, have middle of the night hot chocolate sessions as normal, and just like normal, listen to Scott and John argue over whatever it was they were now squabbling about, even if both did have small smiles on their faces. Both of them knew, just as normal, that they would get there, even if it did take a little bit of time.

TBTBTB

The Tracy sons were not the only ones who had been jolted awake by nightmares. Jeff was sitting out on his balcony, staring at the moon and mildly wondering where John was in relation to him right now. Some nights he was convinced there was another star in the sky as Thunderbird Five watched over the Earth, despite knowing that seeing it from down here was impossible. It wasn't the faces of the victims they had been too late to save that had haunted his dreams, but those of his own children. He knew how much this was grating on them, and a silent check of their rooms not five minutes ago had revealed that Alan was the only one who was escaping the nightmares tonight. Jeff shared Gordon's – and the others' – relief that he had not been on the worst rescue. He wouldn't have wished it on any of them, but at least he knew in his own mind that his youngest had been protected from that horror.

Not that it had done the rest of them much good, and he couldn't shake the memory of the look on Gordon's face when they had arrived back at 1am that morning, splattered in mud. The flood was possibly their worst one to date, debriefing had barely even finished before a forest fire in Australia had called them away again, banishing their demons back down below rather than allowing them to let them out and confront them. At least the fire hadn't resulted in any loss of life.

The only thing that he was relieved about was that John had reported that all seemed quiet when the father had turned in for the night. He knew it meant nothing; trouble could spring up without warning. But for the last few weeks, places had been on alert – a volcano due to erupt in Italy, an earthquake due in San Francisco. Hopefully the world would give International Rescue a couple of weeks to prepare themselves for the next rush. Give his _sons_ the chance to recover. Jeff had begun to seriously contemplate alternating who went where, knowing they were all exhausted. The only reason he hadn't yet done it was because he knew the arguments that would create. Scott would not let his brothers out there without him, and Jeff wasn't sure if he wanted them out there without the clear guidance of his Field Commander. But his oldest son had looked positively exhausted earlier on that day, and Jeff was worried he might not have much choice.

All they needed was a few days. Time to work out all their frustrations over the losses, then catch up on the much needed sleep. A few days would be all that was needed to put the sparkle back in Gordon's eye and the paintbrush in Virgil's hand. When he heard Scott whistling as he came back in from his morning run and Alan complaining about something to Tin-Tin, then he knew that the world would be okay again. Until then, he just hoped that the rest of the world would decide to take this time to have a bit of peace and quiet.

Swirling the glass he had clutched in his hand, Jeff sighed before downing the last of his whisky. He didn't even want to know what his mother was going to say when she found out, but he had needed something to drive away his own demons, his own guilt. He had sent them out there, he had been the one to make them witness the horrors they had seen and feel the guilt that was now plaguing them. Jeff shook his head as he placed his glass down, knowing that they would never forgive him for thinking that way. They didn't blame him, so why should he blame himself? Maybe it was just a father thing?

Jeff moved back into his room and sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, letting the almost non-existent breeze wash in from the still open door, swirling around him and making him sigh again before standing up. Something told him there wasn't going to be much sleep for the head of International Rescue tonight. It was strange. They often went through a night where none of them got any rest at all and debated whether they were doing the right thing or not. Then, the next morning, they would carry on as if nothing had happened. It was their way of dealing, for Jeff knew as well as his boys that if they started to think too hard on what might happen, they would never be able to function.

Determined to try and escape his own guilt, Jeff moved across his room and once again found himself padding down the corridor. There was no point checking on the older ones, he could see from here that the kitchen light was still on. No doubt when Kyrano went down to make breakfast the next morning, they would still be in there, Gordon most likely sitting on the floor, leaning back against the counter with an old sweater of Scott's over him from where his brother had attempted to keep him warm. Virgil would be at the table, head on his arms and curled up in his chair. Scott would be the only one awake, staring into space but ready to jump at any noise. Ready to do anything that would mean his brothers got the rest they needed. But not every member of the family was down there, and without really thinking about it, Jeff opened Alan's door for the second time that night.

Maybe he would just reassure himself by Alan's steady breathing that it was worth it? They were saving lives, they were stopping families going through the grief they had gone through. He had missed years of Alan's upbringing because of it, and he was not going to let another child go through that if he had a say in it. Pulling his son's chair round until it was next to the bed, Jeff sat back down. He leant forward, brushed a stray lock of hair away from Alan's forehead and sighed.

By morning, he would be fine. But right now, he just needed to reassure himself that things were going to be okay.

TBTBTB

Despite it being nearly four in the morning, the Tracys weren't the only ones who were still awake. But it wasn't nightmares that had awoken Kyrano from the light sleep he had managed to find some rest in. It wasn't the same guilt over whether they could have saved one more person from the flood that had the Malaysian peeling his eyes open and blinking for a moment at the low ceiling he had insisted on for his room.

The strange thing was, he couldn't even say what it was that had brought him back to reality. It was just a feeling, something twisting unpleasantly in his gut. A heavy feeling settling in on him that had immediately caused him to leap out of bed and pad barefoot next door to where his daughter slept. She was so peaceful, so at ease despite the trouble the family had been going through that her father couldn't help but smile. Kyrano moved across to Tin-Tin's window, opening it slightly and letting some air into the room, breathing in deeply and attempting to clear his mind.

Failures at rescues had never affected him as much as the Tracys. He didn't have Jeff's guilt at sending his sons out there, although he did share in the father's worry whenever his own daughter was involved. He didn't have the boys' thoughts that perhaps they should have moved slightly quicker, knowing the young men would have done everything in their power to save one more life, even if it was nearly at the cost of their own.

So why had he awoken with a bad feeling about International Rescue for the first time since it had begun? He knew the others would have just said that it was the stress of the last few weeks, but Kyrano knew that was not it. This was something dark, something even more menacing than anything Mother Nature could attempt to throw at them. This was something that made him shift uncomfortably as he stared out at the ocean and thought about what could be coming. Danger was lurking in the air, he could feel it. It was something unnerving, something that even Tin-Tin's calm and steady breathing couldn't calm him down from.

After a moment or so, he turned and left her room again, knowing that she was a light sleeper. He certainly didn't want anyone else to find out about this until he was ready for them to. He knew what they were like, practical men, all of them. They wouldn't believe that he wasn't just reacting to the rescues. Until he knew precisely what it was he was feeling, _why_ he was feeling it, and more precisely, how it was going to affect the people that he considered to be his family, Kyrano wasn't going to say anything.

Instead, he moved across to his own room and stepped out onto the balcony. The edge of the forest was almost directly under him and he could see the calming movement of the ocean when he lifted his eyes. The relaxed atmosphere and tranquillity of the island was finally beginning to calm the uneasiness in him, and Kyrano sat down on a woven mat, crossing his legs and breathing in deeply, focusing himself. Everyone was safe, and even if they weren't quite at peace, he knew that they would be fine; they were all strong.

He let his thoughts run wild as he closed his eyes, trying to pinpoint where this feeling was coming from. He wasn't even sure if he had experienced it before or not, although there was something familiar about the uneasiness caressing his soul. Time passed as he lost himself to his thoughts, minutes trickling into hours before he finally opened his eyes again.

The sun had just begun to rise, the birds beginning to greet the new day, and Kyrano knew this was his normal awakening time, the time when he normally relished the peace and quiet of the island whilst he got things together to help the rest of the occupants through the day.

Not quite feeling settled yet, he rose fluidly to his feet and glanced once more at the ocean, the sun just beginning to sparkle off the waves, once again making the island appear to be a paradise, a great contrast to the turmoil the night had brought. His hand hesitated on the door handle for a long moment before he turned and headed back inside.

No matter how at peace the island seemed, Kyrano was sure of one thing. It wasn't going to stay that way. And this time, it wouldn't just be a rescue gone wrong that would throw the Tracys into chaos. This would be something much darker, much more of a threat to the family. He might not be able to say what was causing his discomfort, but Kyrano knew something for sure.

Something was coming.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for the lovely support for the first chapter, it really means a lot. Special thank you to those I can't respond directly to!**

There was an uncharacteristic glare on Gordon's face as he curled himself into his chair in the cockpit of Thunderbird Two. No one ever sat in this seat apart from him, even if it was Alan or John who had accompanied Virgil out on a rescue instead of Gordon. If he was honest, the redhead knew that barely ever happened, and he knew Virgil would no more let them sit in Gordon's seat than Gordon would himself. It was their sense of normality when rescues got chaotic, it was their way of making sure they stayed focused in the real world rather than letting themselves get swept away with "what if's". Nothing was more rewarding than tipping Alan out of his seat after a hard rescue and sinking into the soft leather himself. Another bonus of him being the only one to sit in it meant that it was moulded to his shape now, and Gordon had to admit that it was one of his favourite chairs. Not that he would ever tell Virgil that, however, his brother's head was big enough already when it came to his 'bird.

Right now, however, Gordon would do anything to be out of this seat. Technically, he shouldn't have even been in it, but in the sick bay where Virgil had left him. His brother didn't seem to pay any attention whatsoever to Gordon's protests that he was fine, despite the fact that one of the tunnels they had been trying to dig through had basically collapsed on Gordon's head. He didn't even remember getting from the tunnel to Two, he'd just assumed that it was something to do with one of his brothers. Virgil had been looking down on him with that expression Gordon knew too well: he was livid as hell that Gordon had made the artist worry and had managed to get himself hurt, but was also more worried than he would ever let on. When Scott had radioed for assistance and John had sent through another report that they were running out of time to reach the trapped cavers, Virgil had decided the best thing to do was to simply lock Gordon in before returning to the rescue zone.

Gordon had been out of the bed and had overridden the codes for the sick bay within seconds. What had infuriated him more was that Scott had moved Mobile Control. It was now under the shade of Thunderbird Two. It made sense, the weather out here was stifling, but Gordon knew that was not the reason why their Field Commander had decided to direct proceedings from there. He would have known that Gordon was able to get out and so was making sure that the prankster didn't try and get back to help with the rescue.

If it had been any other time, Gordon would have risked it. But when he had glanced out, Scott had quite clearly been concentrating hard, directing Virgil in the Mole through the unstable ground. He might be the one to cause trouble when they were at home, but there was no way Gordon was going to risk distracting Scott now. Not when it could potentially be at the cost of lives just because he didn't want to stay put.

Hence why he now found himself glaring at the controls in front of him, trying to take out his annoyance on the same machinery that was effectively holding him prisoner. It came as no surprise when they did nothing but flash random lights back at him, but Gordon wished that something else would happen, something that would allow him back into the rescue to actually do his job. It was at times like this that he hated being the youngest one on the rescue and felt a flash of sympathy for Alan. He was sure if it was John or Scott who had got hurt, Virgil wouldn't dream of trying to keep them in his 'bird.

Deciding to at least get revenge on Virgil, Gordon swung his feet up onto the panel in front of him, making sure that he cleared all of the buttons. But just as he did so, one flashed brightly at him. With a sigh, Gordon leant forward.

"What's up, Johnny?"

There was a huff of laughter on the other end of the line.

"Thought you would be in here rather than where you were supposed to be."

"Don't give me that, I - ,"

"Gords, chill." John's voice, whilst as professional as ever, was more relaxed than either Scott or Virgil's was, and Gordon found himself grinning ruefully. It wasn't John's fault that Virgil had shut him in, or that Scott was keeping watch out the front. In fact, out of all of the brothers, John was the most likely to sympathise with Gordon's predicament, considering he spent every rescue trapped in a 'bird with no way to physically help.

"Sorry."

"You okay?"

This time, Gordon couldn't help but roll his eyes. John still had to check up on him, despite the fact that it was obvious he didn't particularly care that Gordon had escaped the sick bay.

"Bored," the prankster admitted truthfully, swivelling his chair side to side slightly. He had never been one to sit still, not when there were things to do and especially not on a rescue. The nightmares from the one before had passed in time as the family had begun to try and put it behind them. They all knew they couldn't dwell on the past, but it still had taken a successful rescue of defying the odds before they had been able to put it behind them and focus on the positives once again. Being stuck on the sidelines for this one meant Gordon knew that if they lost one person – hell, if one person was even hurt – it was going to plague him for a while to come.

"I've got something that might help then," John said with a smile, and Gordon immediately sat up straighter. His feet dropped to the floor as he stared at the screen that was giving him a visual of his older brother, and John had to laugh at the sparkle that suddenly jumped into Gordon's eye.

"What?"

"One of the minor tunnels the other side is beginning to go."

As quickly as Gordon's hopes had risen, he found them dashed again as he folded his arms across his chest and sank down in the seat with a pout on his face.

"How does that help? You know Scott won't let me out."

"Actually, he will this time," John responded, a clear sign that he had already spoken to his big brother about this. The pout slowly disappeared off Gordon's face as John continued. "He needs to keep his focus on Virgil and the Mole, the ground there is unstable. But there are at least four people down in that tunnel, although I have no idea why. He's agreed that you can go in and get them out."

"He agreed to it?" Gordon spluttered in disbelief. For Scott to let him do something when he was supposedly hurt was as rare as him letting Alan fly One.

"He has to. He can't risk those people, especially as we have a rescuer free and Virgil has already admitted that he thinks you are fine. Your turn to fly solo, kid."

Gordon was out of his seat like a shot, cutting the link to Thunderbird Five when his brother was still halfway through his sentence. He knew John would understand, the star lover had a way of knowing what was going through his brothers' heads. No doubt another talent he had picked up through his time up in space. But whilst it may have been John who understood Gordon's desperation to get back out there, it was Scott who simply gave him a nod as he emerged from their brother's 'bird, handing him a map and a spare torch and waving him off in another direction. Gordon knew what that meant, though. It wasn't Scott brushing him off as his behaviour might have suggested to any passer-by, it was his way of saying that he was worried about the situation Virgil was in and so was trusting Gordon to deal with this one without needing his Field Commander to give him strict instructions.

Gordon couldn't help but smile slightly as he took the items and changed direction, turning to where Scott had indicated. He could see the entrance to the tunnel and, with a well trained eye, could see what the problem was. Why on earth anyone would try and enter here, he had no idea. But he could pick up the life signals that John had indicated, and knew that there were at least four people down there. Considering how strong the signal was, Gordon knew that they wouldn't be far in, and so, hoping that it would be quick so he could go and help Scott, the redhead stepped forward.

Snapping on his torch, Gordon swallowed as he let his eyes adjust to the dim light, grateful for how powerful their torches were. He wasn't the best in a small, dark space, which was somewhat ironic considering he was completely happy in the depths of the ocean. But in something like this, when he could actually feel the earth on either side of him and above his head, he couldn't stop a slight shiver from running down his spine. Deciding that it really would be better to get this one over and done with as fast as possible, Gordon forced his feet further into the tunnel, ducking in places to avoid smacking his head as he called out to whoever was further down. He could only hope they were all able to walk out themselves and it had just been fear and panic that had made them freeze. As a member of International Rescue, there weren't a lot of reactions Gordon hadn't seen when someone was in potential danger.

"Can anyone hear me?"

For a moment, it seemed as if his voice was just bouncing around the tunnel and coming back at him, mocking him with the fact that there was nowhere to go. But eventually, Gordon heard something, a muffled voice that gave him the courage and the drive to be able to step further into the tunnel. Every instinct was screaming at him to get out, but Gordon ignored it. If he went with his body's automatic reaction to something dangerous,he wouldn't be able to do the job that he did.

He moved slowly, making sure that his position could be monitored by Mobile Control the whole time. The last thing he wanted was to get himself lost in the tunnel, and he had absolutely no idea how long or deep it was. The darkness didn't help matters, but Gordon could tell that the tunnel was twisting and turning. The voice which had responded to him had sounded muffled, an indicator that the man to whom it belonged was some distance in, yet the signal was strong. With a winding tunnel, they could potentially be only ten feet from Gordon, but the turns of the tunnel would mean they were still technically miles away.

Sighing softly to himself, the redhead forced himself further into the tunnel. The only thing he could hear was his own breathing and soft footfalls, and Gordon wasn't sure whether that was good or not. He hated silence, and normally – as the rest of the family would vouch for with exasperation – did his best to try and break it. But this time, he knew it was neither the time nor the place, and so settled with calling out to the men again, trying to get a clearer picture of where they were and what state they were in.

By the time he had been walking for nearly half an hour, he knew there were four men, knew their names and that one of them – Ed – was unconscious after a part of the tunnel further down had collapsed on them. By the sounds of it, they had managed to drag him back towards the surface from where it had caved in, but a tunnel was not an easy place to navigate, and the rest of them had been forced to take a breather when Gordon had entered the tunnel. In a way, the rescuer was glad. The three conscious men obviously had their wits about them and had managed to not panic too much, they understood Gordon's instructions and seemed to be following them as well. Having been forced to try and calm down hysterical people so many times on a rescue, the prankster was grateful for someone who understood what `do not move` actually meant.

It still took him a further twenty minutes before he finally rounded the corner and saw the men. One – whom he could only assume was Ed – was lying on the floor, two of the others kneeling beside him. The fourth was standing, clearly waiting for Gordon as he came around the corner, especially if the look of relief that shot over his face was anything to go by.

"Thank goodness," he breathed, and Gordon smiled reassuringly.

"You must be Tom?"

The man had quite a distinctive accent so Gordon was pretty confident that he had got the right person, something only confirmed when the man nodded, smiling slightly. As Gordon approached, he stepped to one side, and it was Gordon's turn to be grateful. As he dropped to his knees beside Ed, he made sure he turned his attention on the two other men. He knew what it was like to be in a situation that you possibly thought you weren't getting out of. He didn't want to neglect them.

"So which one is Danny and which one is Jack?"

The two men indicated which was which, shuffling out of the way so that Gordon could get a better look at their friend. As far as having someone unconscious in a tunnel went, this rescue was reasonably easy. The men were thinking straight and clearly knew to keep out of Gordon's way as he began to examine Ed. After a moment, Gordon sat back on his haunches.

"Well, we're all getting out of here, that's for sure. Just maybe not all walking out," he said casually, showing them that their friend was in no immediate danger. Jack and Danny exchanged looks and Tom smiled tightly.

"You're right, of course you are..." the man muttered, taking a step forward as the other two climbed properly to their feet. "Only it's you that is not going to be walking out."

Gordon barely had time to process what had been said, simply blinking at him for a moment before Ed's eyes shot open and his hand rose, grabbing Gordon by the throat, hard. The time for thinking was over, and Gordon reacted on instinct. Within a split second, he had broken the grip and tried to jump to his feet, realising only now the movement of the other men meant they were now surrounding him.

"What's going on, lads?" Gordon asked cheerfully, trying to ignore the way his heart was pounding. None of them answered him, but Tom nodded at Danny, and before Gordon could move, the man had jumped at him. He avoided the swinging fist with ease, even delivering his own blow before Jack moved forward, kicking out at Gordon's knees. The redhead went down, but immediately rolled to one side, avoiding the now rising Ed and backing away from the other two as they approached him. Ed had a change of plan however, and before he got to his feet, he simply reached out, grabbing Gordon's ankle and after a moment of furious tugging, managed to jerk the redhead flat onto the floor once more.

Gordon had no time to think about rising again as immediately, a foot sank into his stomach, followed by another one in his back. It continued for a few moments before Tom stepped forward.

"Enough! There can be no visible mark."

Danny glared down at him and delivered Gordon one last kick that had the man moaning on the floor, curled up and shaking slightly as Tom bent down. He rolled Gordon over before drawing his arms behind him. Feeling the cold sensation of a plastic zip tag, Gordon lashed out, kicking out sharply, but someone grabbed his ankles, pulling his legs straight and holding him down.

"What the hell are you doing?" he spluttered, outrage coursing through him. Scott was going to kill him at this rate. It was supposed to be a straightforward easy rescue, not this.

"Someone wants to talk to you," Jack responded, standing above Gordon's head and watching him with a curious expression. Gordon bucked furiously against Tom, but the man was large and held him down with ease.

"Take his watch."

This time, it took all four of them to hold Gordon down as he fought back violently. It was only when Tom's hand closed over his nose and mouth, blocking off all air, that Gordon truly accepted he had a problem. That didn't stop him fighting for another few moments, before finally collapsing back onto the ground. As Tom removed his hand, Gordon was too busy trying to force air back into his lungs to think about fighting. A rough hand undid the strap on his watch and, to Gordon's dismay, it was placed on a rock by the side, safely out of harm's way. He had been hoping that they would try and smash it, something that would immediately activate the signal and inform his brothers that something was wrong.

Instead, they just left it sitting there as they hauled Gordon to his feet. Digging in his heels, Gordon refused to move as they tried to force him down the tunnel. He was twisting his hands frantically, trying to wriggle his way out of the ties and only succeeding in making them dig into his wrists.

"Tom?"

By looking back, Gordon could make out Ed nodding towards his wrists. "Thought we wanted no mark?"

Gordon knew what he was talking about. He could feel the hot trickle of blood beginning to seep from a small cut from where the ties had cut into him, and immediately redoubled his efforts. By saying that, they were giving him a clue about something, _anything, _and Gordon fully intended to make the most of that. Tom, however, had other ideas, and with a nod, Danny and Jack once more kicked out at Gordon's knees. Their hands heavy on his shoulders, Gordon was forced into kneeling, glaring defiantly at his captors.

"You won't get away with this. They'll know something is wrong; the others will come looking for me."

"How? According to your signal, you are still right here, and when we do this..." To Gordon's horror, Tom dug some sort of remote out of his pocket. As he flicked the button, five lights flared into existence, causing Gordon to flinch away from the brightness for a moment. When his vision cleared, it was to see what looked like five ordinary heaters. Whilst he as of yet had no idea what they were for, it told him one thing. This had been planned.

"Our signals stay in the same place as well. Set at the correct temperature for a human body. Of course, I doubt it will last long against your technology, but it will be enough to stop anyone coming looking, for a while at least. Not as if you've reported in a problem, is it?"

"What makes you think we monitor by heat?" Gordon said calmly, his eyebrows raising and a hint of a smirk on his face as he tried to make them worry. To his dismay, Tom smiled.

"The flicker of fear in your eyes when you realised what they were. Admit it, we've won. Take him away."

"No!" Struggling as much as he could, Gordon was no match for four men with his hands tied behind his back and he had no choice but to let them drag him off. In one futile effort, he tried to kick out at his watch, do anything to disrupt its steady signal, but it only resulted in unbalancing him, allowing the men to move him with more ease whilst Gordon struggled to correct his position again.

TBTB

Gordon didn't stop struggling as he was dragged through the tunnels, his mind working overtime to try and take note of its twists and turns. Which way were they going? How long had they been walking for? His struggles were merely an act as he tried to memorise their position, not letting the men know what he was doing. Judging by the amused look Ed kept shooting him, Gordon had a feeling they knew anyway, but that wasn't going to stop him. He was going to get out of this, preferably kicking their asses up to Thunderbird Five and beyond in the process.

But as they rounded another corner, Gordon did stop struggling, although it was more through surprise than anything else. They had left the tunnel, instead entering a grand cave. It had obviously been in use for a while, bright spotlights illuminating the whole place and weapons strewn everywhere. For a moment, Gordon let his eyes flick between the guns and his captors, wondering if he could get to one of them before he could be stopped. Not that it would get him very far, the place was milling with people, the majority in some sort of uniform. One was standing over to one side, clearly giving orders. He glanced over, but Gordon paid him absolutely no attention. He knew that anyone here was disposal, especially if they were working with the figure standing in the middle of the bustle. He had his back to Gordon as the aquanaut was brought forward, but there was something familiar about him, something that made Gordon struggle in earnest. Something so familiar that Gordon knew that anyone in the room could be dead in a blink of an eye if the man so chose.

The men threw him to his knees once more, Tom standing behind him and keeping his hands on Gordon's shoulders whilst Danny and Jack knelt on either side, holding his arms. It didn't matter that he was still tied; they were using brute force to keep him down.

"Sir?"

The man slowly turned around and Gordon growled, a low, primitive sound, as he tried to lunge forward, his captors only just managing to hold onto him.

"You..." he snarled, his eyes flashing dangerously. If looks could kill, the man in front of him would already be on his way to hell.

"Tracy," the Hood spat back, leering slightly at the restrained man kneeling at his feet. "So nice of you to join me."

"You'll never get away with this!" Gordon yelled, shaking himself again to try and get the men off him. It wasn't to escape this time, but to tear the man in front of him into pieces. Too long had this man been haunting his family, constantly trying to stop them by threatening their lives and their equipment! Gordon was fuming.

"I already have, Gordon," the Hood responded silkily, kneeling down in front of Gordon and nodding at Tom. Before Gordon could react, the ties around his wrists had been cut. Tom bent one arm up behind his back, keeping Gordon still as Ed grabbed his wrist. Holding his arm out straight to the side, Gordon struggled as the Hood pulled out a small knife. With a smile, he pressed the blade into Gordon's arm, watching almost in fascination as blood immediately bubbled to the surface.

Gordon was breathing heavily, glancing away to hide his wince as the man pressed his thumb against the wound, watching in satisfaction as it was immediately stained red. Gordon glared at him, only to feel his stomach churn unpleasantly as the Hood licked it off again.

"He'll do nicely."

"What? What are you going to do to me?" Gordon yelled, but the men moved again. Tom took both arms, pinning them behind his back, and Ed moved, clamping his hand over Gordon's mouth. The redhead struggled furiously as the Hood placed his fingers to Gordon's temples and breathed in deeply.

The last thing Gordon remembered was the man's eyes glowing yellow before excruciating pain overtook him. He could vaguely hear the sound of screaming, but even as he realised it was coming from him, he couldn't stop himself. There was a wave of terror crashing through him that Gordon didn't think he had ever experienced before, and then everything went black.

TBTBTB

"Thank God that is over," Virgil muttered, leaning against Thunderbird Two now that the Mole was safely stored away and watching his big brother pack away Mobile Control. "When we entered section 7 and you suddenly yelled to stop, I thought my heart was going to explode."

"So did I," Scott responded with a smile, glancing over at his brother with a fond look. "I suddenly had readings flashing at me, I had no idea what you had just tunnelled into. Sorry if I overreacted."

"Scott? Apologising for overreacting at a rescue? Who are you and what have you done with my brother?"

Scott rolled his eyes and shoved his brother lightly before glancing around.

"Talking of which, where's Gords?" Virgil too looked around, but before he could worry too much, he caught sight of the figure they were both looking for.

"Coming now."

It was true. Gordon was walking slowly towards them, a somewhat vacant expression on his face. Scott glanced at Virgil, who shrugged.

"You okay, kiddo?"

"Affirmative." Gordon didn't say anything else, but made to move into Thunderbird Two, his expression still blank.

"Methinks someone has been talking to Johnny too much," Virgil said with a smirk and Scott grinned. Gordon didn't react, just stood there looking at the machine in front of him.

"Gords?" Scott reached forward, noticing the blood on Gordon's wrist. "What did you do?"

"Slipped on a rock. Can we go now?"

Virgil shook his head as Scott made to open his mouth, and opened up Thunderbird Two. Gordon disappeared in without a word.

"He was pissed at me earlier. Maybe he did hurt his head more than we thought. We'll deal with it when we get home," the artist muttered in an undertone, and Scott nodded. Virgil could see the way he was biting his lip, however, and knew Scott was as worried about Gordon as he was.

"Keep in touch on the way home; let me know if anything is wrong."

Virgil nodded, their playful tone from before gone. They had only just recovered from the last lot of nightmares. Could being made to sit out for most of the rescue have affected Gordon deeper than they thought? Sending Scott back to Thunderbird One, Virgil swiftly followed the route he could see Gordon had taken. It was something of a worry to find that Gordon had gone straight into the sick bay, meaning that Virgil quickened his pace to get straight in there. Gordon clearly didn't want to have to admit to Virgil that he had been right about his earlier injury and so for once had taken the sensible solution. He already looked to be asleep, or at least pretending. Not wanting to disturb his brother – and getting the feeling that Gordon didn't want to talk to him – Virgil gently picked up his brother's wrist.

Very softly, he cleaned the cut and wrapped it in a light bandage. Gordon didn't open his eyes the whole time, but Virgil could see the way he was clearly trying to hold back a flinch. Gordon was awake, but considering he wasn't arguing or trying to push Virgil away, the older brother just let him be. It took no time at all before Virgil was satisfied that he had done everything he could for now and swiftly began making his way to the cockpit. If Gordon was ignoring him because of his over-reaction earlier on, the best thing that Virgil could do was to get his little brother home.

It wasn't like he couldn't monitor the redhead from the flight deck. As his hands flew through the pre-flight checks and reported to Scott that they were good to go, Virgil found that he kept looking back at the monitors, making sure that Gordon was okay from the visual he had on the sickbay.

Unfortunately for both brothers, Virgil kept looking at the wrong moment. He didn't see the way Gordon was shaking uncontrollably, sweating whilst his teeth chattered as if he had a bad fever. His hands were gripping the pillow in a death like grip, refusing to obey his body's command to get up and have a closer look around his brother's 'bird.

"No, no, no, no..." he kept chanting to himself, not letting his body move despite how much part of him wanted it to. Eventually, he did sit up, and Gordon growled furiously,

"_No!" _

Pain once more erupted behind his eyes, and with a cry, he fell back onto the bed. He was unconscious almost before he hit it.

But if Virgil had looked back at that moment, it would not have been his brother looking back at him as Gordon's eyes flared yellow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews. Special thanks to Bee for this one as I did rather a lot of things that made absolutely no sense in this chapter till she set me right, thanks! Enjoy!**

Apart from the required communications between the 'birds and the island regarding progress and technical details, nothing more was said in Thunderbird Two. Virgil couldn't help but feel worry begin to nag away at him in a manner that was all too familiar. So often on the way home from a rescue, the rest of the family were subjected to him trying to shut his younger brother up, albeit with fond amusement lacing his tone. He knew that John was keeping tabs on how many times he had threatened to throw Gordon out of the airlock if he didn't shut up; it seemed to be something of a bet between the two space monitors.

But considering how eerie he was now finding this, Virgil would have preferred to be snapping at Gordon. None of the brothers put themselves in the sick bay if they could help it, let alone let themselves fall asleep whilst still running on the adrenaline a rescue always provided them with. But Gordon had, without so much as blinking at his brother. Virgil knew he had a reason to be worried: this was simply not Gordon.

Could it be that the nightmares hadn't passed for the aquanaut as much as he had said they had? The sparkle had returned to Gordon's eye, and Virgil was convincedthat he was up to something; he had that glint once more that only spelled trouble for whoever the unfortunate victim was this time. The bad rescue had been a good couple of weeks ago, and despite it being a rough first few days, the boys knew they had to move on. If they let it stop them for any length of time, they may as well just quit International Rescue for all the good they would do. But even though Gordon outwardly appeared to be alright, could he just be hiding it? Virgil knew full well that making his brother sit out most of this rescue would have wound Gordon up if nothing else, but as he once more glanced at the monitors, he couldn't help but wonder whether it was more than that.

"Thunderbird One to Thunderbird Two. Come in, Virg, you still with me?"

Jumping at Scott's voice, Virgil dragged a hand through his hair and opened up the communications with his eldest brother. Grinning apologetically at Scott, he nodded.

"Sorry, just thinking."

"Careful, you might strain something."

Scott's laid back tone finally made Virgil smile, but when he glanced again at his brother, he could see the same concern reflected in Scott's eyes. Virgil had been reporting in everything that he needed to, which meant the uncharacteristic silence on the giant Thunderbird was due to something being wrong with Gordon. Scott, too, knew what sitting out of the rescue would have done to their brother, it was why he had given in to John's suggestion to let Gordon go for the last cavers.

"Where is he?" the oldest brother continued, glancing around what he could see of the cockpit from the screen. Virgil sighed, shaking his head slightly.

"Asleep in the sickbay."

"What did you do?"

Virgil tried to look offended that Scott believed he would take such drastic action, but found that he ended up chuckling anyway. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time, that was for sure.

"That's just the thing," the artist replied quietly, biting his lip and feeling the frown on his face. Scott immediately sat up straighter, leaning forward to alter something on his own controls, but it was clear he was paying attention to Virgil rather than what he was doing. For his part, Virgil was just glad that their father wasn't in on this conversation, he was certain the man wouldn't approve of Scott's lack of concentration.

"I didn't do anything. He went straight in there when he came aboard, and by the time I'd done the pre-flight checks, he was asleep. I just left him, didn't want to disturb him if he is that exhausted, but..."

"You've never seen him like that?" Scott ended Virgil's sentence for him, he, too, beginning to frown. "Virg, I'm on the final approach to the island, I've gotta go. I'll let Dad know that something is wrong with Gords and he can have Brains prepare the infirmary."

"Scott, don't!" Virgil practically yelped, stopping his brother just as he went to cut the line. As Scott frowned quizzically at him, Virgil pressed on. "If he took himself into the sickbay, it means he might be acknowledging something is wrong. Let me just talk to him; see if I can find out what when we get back to base. If Gordon is doing the sensible thing, I might be able to just treat whatever it is in his own room, and we are all saved the fight."

Scott paused for a moment, but could clearly see the plea in Virgil's eyes and knew that his brother had a point. When any of them ended up in the infirmary, an argument at the very least always ensued.

"If Gordon does the sensible thing, then I _know_ something is wrong," he said softly with a smile, finally causing Virgil to relax. "Okay, I won't say anything. But keep an eye on him, Virg, this isn't like Gordon."

"I know," Virgil responded simply, smiling at his brother and cutting the line so that Scott could land in peace. He wasn't far from the island himself now, and was glad to be getting home.

"You don't have to talk about me when I'm not there."

The cold voice coming from behind him made Virgil jump so much that he almost jerked the controls as he spun around in his seat.

"Jeez, Gordon, give a guy some warning, why don't you?" he snapped, more irritably than he intended. His brother had just taken him by surprise, something that didn't often happen in Virgil's own 'bird. He hadn't seen the flicker of movement on the monitors, hadn't heard the door open. All in all, he had no idea Gordon was there until he had spoken. Softening, he looked over at his younger sibling. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm perfectly fine."

But there was the same cold note in Gordon's voice, and looking at him, Virgil was sure the man was _not_ fine. He was pale and seemed to be sweating slightly, but his eyes were overly bright and so alert it made Virgil shudder. He couldn't tell where Gordon was looking, for his brother's gaze seemed to be darting around the cockpit, almost as if he was taking in every inch of it for the first time.

"Right, well, strap in, we're coming in to land."

"Of course we are."

Virgil frowned, then turned his attention back to what he was doing, trying to tell himself that Gordon was just tired or whatever it was. Even so, it was still giving him the shudders about how cold his voice was. Even in dangerous situations, Gordon's voice was cheerful, full of laughter. It was what made him such an effective rescuer; he had been known to calm even the most hysterical people down with just a smile. Hearing him like this just sounded wrong, on all levels.

For once, the landing was done in complete silence apart from Jeff clearing them to land and Virgil establishing contact once again when they were about to head up. He could hear the slightly terse note in his father's voice and knew that Scott had said something. After his plea, Virgil was fully aware that his big brother wouldn't even attempt to mention the infirmary; he would stay true to his word and trust Virgil on it. But that didn't mean he was going to stay completely quiet, and considering Gordon's latest behaviour, Virgil was glad.

"Come on then, you," he muttered, prodding Gordon to get him moving out of his seat. Later, he wouldn't be able to say for sure that he hadn't imagined it, but for a split second, there was such a dark look on Gordon's face that Virgil almost stepped back in shock. By the time he looked again, his brother's face was neutral – too neutral - but that was better than before. Leading the way out of his 'bird as he normally did, Virgil didn't pause until he reached the hatchway.

"Gordon?"

His brother wasn't behind him as he had expected, and huffing slightly to himself, Virgil stepped back in. "Gords, you coming or what?" Virgil couldn't help but frown when he saw Gordon's hand ghosting over the controls to his 'bird.

"Gordon!" Virgil snapped, beginning to lose his patience with his brother's strange behaviour. "Come on, the others are waiting for us."

Gordon turned and marched past Virgil, shoving his brother out of the way as he did so. Stumbling, Virgil was only just able to maintain his balance by grabbing onto Gordon's usual chair, staring out after the disappearing young man with astonishment written into his features.

"Scott?" Raising his watch, Virgil summoned his older brother. "Incoming."

"That bad?"

"He's not acting like himself in the slightest. Can you keep Al out of the way?"

"He's really that bad?" Scott's astonishment meant Virgil could almost picture the expression on his brother's face. No doubt their father was leaning over Scott's shoulder, his hand tightening on said shoulder in concern.

"Yep. Almost pushed me over getting out of Two. Alan's so excited about this holiday and the chance to get away from the island, I don't want him to have a run-in with Gordon and leave in a bad mood; you know how John frets."

"I'm sure John is not the only one," Scott said, and Virgil could have sworn he heard the smirk in his brother's voice. "But okay."

Breathing out a sigh of relief that at least one person would hopefully be spared what Virgil was sure was to be an upcoming argument, he finally exited Thunderbird Two. Unlike normal, however, he found that he was double and triple-checking that everything was secure. There was something making shudders run down his spine, and Virgil knew to trust his instincts enough to take note of it. Heading towards the elevator, he frowned when he saw that it was all dark. None of the activation lights were on, which meant only one thing: Gordon was still down there.

"Gordon!" Virgil yelled, making sure his voice carried as he had no idea where his brother was.

"I'm right here."

Once again, Gordon's uncharacteristically quiet voice sounded from right behind him, and trying to hide how much it had made him jump, Virgil glared angrily.

"Let's go!" he snapped, marching off. This time, he could hear Gordon following quietly behind, but couldn't help wonder where the man had been. There was no way he had been right behind Virgil the whole time, for he knew that he would have seen him.

Never before had he been so glad to reach the lounge and the rest of the family.

"Boys."

The smile on Jeff's face made Virgil relax, and he grinned at his father before flopping down on a seat next to Scott. For a long moment, Gordon simply stood there before he, too, sat stiffly down. Normally, the prankster would either sprawl himself across the couch, or would take the floor. This time, however, he was sitting in the chair, bolt upright. Virgil saw his father and oldest brother exchange looks and he gave a wry smile that spoke volumes.

_Told you it was bad._

Clearly intending to try and ignore Gordon's behaviour, Jeff led the debriefing as normal, connecting them through to Thunderbird Five. If John noticed anything was wrong, he managed to hide it enough to carry on as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Despite having a member of their team uncharacteristically silent, the debriefing went as well as could be expected. Virgil and Scott found themselves laughing over their earlier scare with the Mole, not helped by the fact that John decided to replay the recordings. Scott went bright red as Virgil burst out laughing, realising just how high-pitched his brother's yelp had gone. It should have been the perfect ammunition for Gordon, yet he barely blinked. Instead, he just sat in his chair and almost stared straight ahead, not reacting to anything that was going on around him.

"Right, Scott, Virgil, go and get cleaned up. John, send through the statistics, we'll stick them in the file with the rest. Scott, I then want you to report to Brains, he might be able to modifyMobile Control so we don't have another scare with the Mole."

"F.A.B." Scott and John both made to move, but Virgil simply glanced at Gordon. Jeff nodded softly, a small smile on his face to reassure his son that he was taking the matter in hand.

"Gordon, join me in the office. I want a word, son."

Gordon didn't say a word, just rose stiffly from his chair and walked from the room without so much as a backwards glance. John let out a low whistle.

"What is wrong with him?"

"No idea," Virgil admitted softly, his tone causing Scott to clap a reassuring hand on his shoulder. The oldest brother knew how much Virgil hated to admit that he didn't know what was going on with the others, especially if it was something that was affecting their health.

"Come on, we need to get cleaned up."

"Meet me in the kitchen afterwards?"

"What for?"

Virgil almost rolled his eyes at the curious expression on Scott's face, unable to believe his brother didn't know what was coming next.

"Six hour rescue, Scott."

"So?"

"Six hours without fluid."

"Eww, Virg, no! Those hydration solutions are disgusting."

Virgil laughed at Scott's protests.

"Either that or I'll tell Dad you aren't following field medic's orders."

"Then I'll tell him you aren't following field _commander's_ orders."

"Or I'll tell him you are both being stubborn asses," John broke in with a laugh, rolling his eyes at his younger and older siblings. "You know he won't let it go, Scott, just let him do his bit then you can all just chill."

"Besides, yours won't be as disgusting as Gordon's," Virgil muttered quietly, but his brothers still heard him. Scott didn't even need to open his mouth; John's confused expression asked the question for them.

"He's clearly exhausted. So there might just be something else mixed in with his to encourage sleep."

"A sedative?" Scott asked, looking slightly astonished, but Virgil nodded glumly.

"We can only hope him getting some sleep will snap him out of this mood. Don't know about you guys, but I've never seen him like this. You should have seen him in Two, it was nothing short of creepy. Dad knows to send him down to the kitchen when they are done with their chat, even if I haven't quite had the chance to tell him what I'm planning."

"Then let's go and get cleaned up and see if we can't sort out our little brother," Scott said firmly, and with such reassurance that Virgil found himself smiling.

"John, catch you later?"

"You can bet on it. Right now, I promised I'd help the Sprout work out what to take away with him." With a cheery wave, John signed off and Scott slung a comforting arm around Virgil's shoulders, beginning to steer him from the room.

"He'll be okay, you know. Our Gords is a tough one."

Virgil just smiled tightly and hoped that his brother was right.

TBTBTB

Gordon was crouched outside the kitchen, hidden in the shadows. Every inch of him was screaming at him to walk into the kitchen, to once again approach his brothers as if nothing was wrong. There was a pounding pain in his head, as if someone was constantly swinging a hammer at it, and every second he resisted it, the worse it got. He could literally feel his muscles trembling with the effort of trying to stay still, feeling the Hood attempting to force him into moving.

Thiswas what had happened so far. From blacking out in the sickbay of Thunderbird Two, the next thing Gordon had known, he was standing in his father's office with the man asking him if anything was wrong. To his surprise, he had answered, his tone cold and hating. Jeff had just looked at him sadly, clearly picking up on the tone, and Gordon had found himself clenching his fists. His body had wanted nothing more than to pick up the paperweight on the man's desk and slam it into his head, showing him precisely what was wrong.

Their whole lifestyle was wrong!

Shaking, Gordon had fled, and found himself almost surprised that Jeff had let him. But he wasn't hanging around to question it, and had immediately made a beeline for the beach. If he could get away from the rest of the family, then he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone. He could feel the Hood's hatred pumping through him, and knew that it was up to him to be able to control it. But then he had heard Scott and Virgil's voices coming from the kitchen, knowing that he was supposed to be joining them. As Gordon had tried to take another step towards the beach, every muscle in his body had seized up, and it was like he was being dragged into the shadows.

He tried to call out, but his voice wouldn't work. He tried to move, but his body was no longer in his control.

"_Don't try and fight me. I am you, I control you. So weak minded, so easy to take. Now stand and move."_

Years of training, thanks both to WASP and International Rescue, meant Gordon had tensed everything, refusing to let the man move his body. His hydrofoil accident meant that he was no stranger to pain, and even as it felt like he was being electrocuted, he still would not allow the creep controlling him to move his body.

Once again though, it was his brothers who broke his concentration. He could hear a peal of laughter coming down the stairs and knew somehow that it was John talking to Alan. His younger brother was so carefree and happy right now, two weeks' vacation time meaning that he didn't have to worry about rescues, didn't have to be concerned with things going wrong. All he had to think about was which clothes to take. Gordon felt his heart constrict at hearing Alan's laughter, and in that split second, suddenly found himself moving again.

"No... no, I won't," he groaned through gritted teeth, but the Hood had taken advantage of his distraction in order to tighten his hold. Originally, he hadn't been expecting this much resistance, and it had only been when Gordon had blacked out that he had easily been able to take control of his body. It should have been this easy from the beginning, not having to go through that much to get to that point. At this rate, he was going to have to force the stubborn Tracy into unconsciousness again; every movement was turning into a battle.

"_You have no choice."_

The voice brought with it a fresh wave of pain, and as Gordon moaned, he suddenly found himself in the kitchen and sitting down. He didn't even remember opening the door, let alone walking across the room. Scott and Virgil were both in there, glasses in front of them. Virgil smiled at him, pushing across another glass. But Gordon could see straight through the smile, Virgil's eyes were telling the true story and they were burning with concern. The way Scott let his gaze bounce between the glass, Virgil, back to the glass and then onto him also gave away that there was something else going on. He knew what Virgil was like, knew that this wouldn't just be what it looked like.

"Hydration solution," Scott announced, confirming that it was more than just water. He clearly knew that Gordon was seeing through the pretence and questioning why Virgil was suddenly making them drink. Gordon automatically felt his hand going around it. The Hood wanted him to drink it, and Gordon knew that his body needed the fluid. He was going to need his strength in order to get through this one, so didn't see the point in resisting it.

The glass had just touched his lips when his hand slammed down violently again, his hand hitting the table hard. Unable to stop himself, Gordon gasped, cradling his wrist from where the collision had sent a jolt of pain up his arm, coupled with a tingling sensation that came from him not being the one to have moved it in the first place.

"_They think they can fool me!" _

For a moment, Gordon could only blink. Scott had said that it wasn't just water, they weren't hiding anything. But then he looked at Virgil's face closely. He could see Virgil was worried about him, and he knew how his brother thought. Virgil thought sleep and rest was the answer to everything meaning there was potentially something in this drink that would encourage exactly that. Somehow, the Hood knew and didn't want Gordon taking it.

Gordon suddenly tightened his grip on the glass. If the Hood didn't want him to drink it, then that was precisely what Gordon was going to do. It was one thing moving him when he was unconscious, especially if no one knew he had passed out, but even the Hood wouldn't be able to move him if he had been sedated, for the prankster was certain that was what was mixed into his drink. With any luck, it would knock out both him and the presence in his mind, maybe even enough to drive the Hood out completely.

His mouth tried to open, words stilling in his throat. It was as if he was choking on them, unable to express the danger they were arm trembled, freezing into place as an internal battle raged on. Gordon was both trying to move his arm, and to stop himself at the same time and it almost resulted in the glass being sent flying.

"Gordon?" Virgil's voice was softer this time, brimming with concern, and the aquanaut managed to force his eyes up, willing his brother to see that something was wrong.

"Everything okay, boys?"

Whether Virgil would have realised or not, Gordon would never know, as another voice interrupted them. Standing in the kitchen doorway, their father's presence had both Scott and Virgil turning towards the door to look at him. Gordon didn't have time to react before his hand shot out, switching the glasses between him and Scott. It only took a few seconds, and by the time the brothers turned back, it was as if he had never moved.

"Gords?"

"I'm fine!" The cold voice snapped again, and Gordon inwardly shuddered with the realisation that the Hood had made him both move and speak, and he hadn't been able to do anything to stop it, despite the yelling match he seemed to be having with himself in his own head.

"That's enough, Gordon, he was just asking." Jeff might have moved on from the door, but he wasn't needed as Scott took on that role, glaring at his younger brother. Gordon's hand clenched, his nails digging into his palm as he tried to regain some sort of control over himself. Glaring at the table, he could feel the tears pricking the corner of his eyes.

"_So weak. So vulnerable. So easy to control. You'll be doing whatever it is that I want soon enough, and you won't be able to stop yourself. If I tell you to strangle the life out of your little brother, you'll be doing it."_

"_Stop it! You'll never get what you want! I'll never stop fighting you. You'll have to kill me before you can make me hurt anyone,"_ Gordon thought back, knowing that he wouldn't be allowed to say it out loud. If he was honest, he didn't want the rest of the family knowing who else had come back to the island with them. The Hood seemed to want to stay hidden at the moment, and Gordon knew that offered everyone else some sort of protection; he wouldn't risk drawing attention to himself any more than absolutely necessary. But if everyone knew, Gordon knew there was no telling what he might do.

_"All in good time."_

Gordon completely froze at how casual the Hood sounded, but then his attention was drawn by Scott.

"I've got repairs to do," the pilot muttered, clearly feeling the tension that had fallen over the kitchen. Picking up his glass, he drained it in one.

"No!" Gordon somehow managed to get the shout out, only to wince and groan as the pressure in his head increased tenfold.

"What?" Scott asked, standing up as he did so. Gordon didn't need to answer, however. As soon as he made it to his feet, Scott was forced to clutch onto the table as the kitchen seemed to lurch alarmingly.

"Scott?" Virgil had stood up after his brother, seeing the colour drain from the older man's face and watching as he swayed slightly.

"What was that for, you jerk?" Scott mumbled, his legs giving way. Luckily, he landed back in his chair, and Virgil glanced at the empty glass, the colour draining from his own face.

"But I didn't..." he protested, frowning in confusion.

"Don't lie, Virg..." Scott slurred, slowly beginning to sag back in his seat. Virgil didn't even bother to argue, but instead just wrapped Scott's arm around his shoulder and hauled him to his feet.

"Come on, let's get you somewhere comfy. It was only mild, I swear."

Gordon could feel his brother's gaze on him, burning into him as Virgil tried to figure out what happened. But Gordon didn't look up, instead keeping his eyes fixed on the table as he listened to Virgil try to pull Scott from the room before the drug completely overtook him.

"_Now do you see why you can't resist me? I can do anything to them. Behave, and I'll just take your technology, hopes and dreams. Fight me, and I'll take their lives."_

"_I won't give you what you want."_ Gordon didn't quite comprehend how strange it was to be talking in his own head. But then again, there was nothing ordinary about this situation in the slightest.

"_All in good time. You'll give in, you're too weak to not."_

Before Gordon could even think of a response, let alone broadcast it to the Hood, he found that he was on his feet again. _"Now move, we have some inspections to carry out before they realise you are gone."_

Dragging his feet as much as possible and clenching his teeth in order to stop himself from crying out in pain as his body was once more forced into standing, Gordon tried fighting against the Hood as much as he could. But the man's mental power was beyond anything which another human was capable of.

"_Stop fighting me."_

"_Never."_

"_Fine."_

Gordon froze, not liking the way that conversation had ended. His hand drifted to his watch, an attempt to try and alert someone that something was wrong, but before he could do so, it felt as if a mental probe had slammed into his head, stronger than anything before. He swayed, one hand going out to clutch the wall as he tried to stop the wave of dizziness that was passing through him. Every muscle in his body clenched and the redhead literally had to bite his lip to stop himself from crying out. It was as if he was slowly being dragged under. Everything was pure agony and he just wanted it to stop.

And then it did stop, and Gordon could feel a welcoming blackness tugging at him. He knew he couldn't withstand this amount of pain, his body wanting to give in and get it all to stop even as his mind screamed at him to fight. But even as his consciousness flickered and the Hood completely took over, his soul screamed out for some sort of saviour to come and get him out of this.

TBTBTB

On the other side of the island, gathering some of the herbshe needed to go into the sauce he was planning for dinner, Kyrano straightened up. He had heard some sort of commotion between Scott and Virgil on his way out. The older seeming to be accusing the younger of doing something to him without permission. But that was common in the Tracy household, and the Malaysian thought nothing of it.

But this time, it was something else. Someone was crying out, screaming for help. What troubled Kyrano more was that he knew no one else would be able to hear the shout. It was not one made with the voice, but with the mind. Staring at the dark green plant clutched in his hand, the man felt his mind race, thinking back over the last couple of weeks. The Tracys might have settled after their disastrous rescue, but something had still been troubling him. There had still been the sense that something more was coming, but yet it hadn't been able to place where it as coming from. Without knowing what was happening, Kyrano hadn't said anything, knowing the Tracys were not men to jump at shadows.

Now, however, he knew things were different. No more was something coming, something was _here._ Judging by the mental shout he had felt more than heard, Kyrano knew one of his worst fears was coming true.

One of the boys was in trouble.

And this time, his brothers wouldn't be able to save him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you again for the lovely reviews!**

Considering the events of the rescue, the rest of the day passed fairly uneventfully. Alan and Tin-Tin had disappeared to pack, both beaming from ear to ear about the chance to spend some time together without the rest of the family being around. Being on an island did have some drawbacks, but both fathers were glad they were going away, even if it did come with the normal parental doubt. Jeff was just glad that Alan had the chance to have a break; he always worried about the mental strain of what they did on a day-to-day basis. He worried about them all, but especially his youngest. Had Alan been given the chance to grow up properly before accepting a role that dictated his life?

Kyrano found that his reasons were more selfish. He knew Jeff was a practical man, and as of yet, he not only had no proof, but he had no inclination about who it was who was in trouble. All he knew was that one of the boys was potentially going through something that he had no understanding of. He hadn't said anything yet about the feelings he was getting, but knowing that his daughter, his only child, was going to be safely away from the island brought him some comfort.

Scott had spent the afternoon sprawled across the sofa, much to Alan's amusement when he heard what had happened. On awakening, there had been an uncomfortable tension between him and Virgil. Scott was annoyed that Virgil had tried to sedate him, and in turn, Virgil was annoyed that Scott didn't believe him when he said that he hadn't. The artist had an idea of what might have happened, considering he hadn't yet found Gordon asleep somewhere.

That was troubling him. He hadn't found Gordon at all; the prankster didn't show for dinner. Considering his strange behaviour, the brothers agreed that maybe he needed a little space, a chance to work things through by himself. That didn't stop Scott from worrying until John once again made contact. The space monitor couldn't stop laughing, having picked up the signal from Gordon's watch. Scolding the pair for worrying, he then casually asked whether they had actually checked the redhead's room. The look on their faces was enough to set him off again and Jeff had been forced to cut the link before a full-scale argument could emerge, considering the mood of both Scott and Virgil. Even so, it had been done with a fond smile on his face and an exasperated shake of his head. Anything the slightest bit wrong, and they both reacted in such an extreme manner. With any luck, Gordon had just been getting some rest, and it wasn't long before the father sent his two remaining sons to do the same. It wasn't often they went without a protest: having long grown out of bedtimes, it was often a battle – but Jeff had a few tricks up his sleeve. One of them being pulling rank, claiming that they had been out on a rescue and therefore it was his duty as their commander to ensure they had got some rest. Scott had scowled, but Virgil had pulled him away.

Unfortunately, whilst Gordon's watch may have been signalling that he was in his room, it was wrong. It was true that the watch was in there, and considering the brothers never took them off, John was right to presume that its owner was also there. But to Gordon's great discomfort, the Hood had seemed to know about the significance of the watches. Why else would he have forced it off Gordon and left it next to his bed? Why would he have had the men remove it, but not damage it, down in the tunnels?

At that moment in time, Gordon was down in the silos once again. He moved silently, something that he couldn't normally do. Not through any choice of his own; the prankster was doing everything he could to make some sort of noise, to alert the many sensors surrounding the area that he shouldn't be down here. But somehow, he just couldn't get any sort of control over himself. _Even under normal circumstances_, creeping around the silos at three in the morning was not on Gordon's list of fun things to do, and he was feeling it. He had tried to get some sleep as his brothers had believed, a vain attempt at stopping the Hood. But he had opened his eyes twenty minutes later to find himself at the edge of his balcony. It appeared the madman didn't sleep, and was using the lack of resistance from Gordon to use him as he saw fit.

That did it for the aquanaut. He had sworn quite solemnly that he would get no rest until the Hood had been thrown from his mind, and so, splashing cold water on his face, he had strode from his room. But once again, his plan to get to the beach - and therefore away from the rest of the family - didn't work. He had only made it down the stairs when he realised that he didn't have his watch on, and as he turned, everything froze. After the Hood had gloated that there was nothing Gordon would be able to do to stop him, they had somehow ended up in the silos.

If he was honest, Gordon had no idea what it was the Hood wanted, and he found that he almost didn't care either. Instead, he was just struggling physically to stop his body from doing what the man wanted it to, being rewarded with intense pain shooting through him as he did so. Every time he tried to stop a leg from moving, he ended up on his knees as it simply gave way underneath him. If he tried to stop his hand lifting to open a door, it resulted in him cradling his wrist. There were bright red lines shooting from the joint, almost looking like a burn. But if he just tried to move in the opposite direction, pain unlike anything he had ever known blossomed through his head and caused him to momentarily black out. By the time he had regained his senses, his body had moved itself to where the man wanted him to go.

It took Gordon almost an hour to realise that this technique was not going to work. It was obvious that being unconscious did nothing to stop the man, and if that was the case, he would have no idea what he was up to. So instead of fighting physically, Gordon threw himself into something that he himself thought to be completely surreal. He entered the battle for his mind.

TBTBTB

"Dude, you look like crap. Did you get any sleep?"

Gordon blinked at Virgil through stinging eyes before wearily shaking his head. Whatever the Hood had wanted in the silos, he had clearly found, and had thankfully backed away slightly. The throbbing headache he had left in his wake was a clear reminder that he hadn't gone far. Somehow, Gordon knew what the maniac was doing. If the redhead answered his brothers normally, they would remain oblivious to what was going on, something that the Hood seemed keen to maintain.

"You should get some rest, Gords."

"No!" Gordon practically yelled his answer at his astonished brother.

Scott, who had been passing at the time, came to a stop, resting a hand on Virgil's shoulder and peering at his other brother. Gordon was pale, paler than Scott had seen him for a long time, but his eyes were bloodshot and sore-looking. He appeared to be trembling slightly and it was obvious from the look in his eyes that he was in pain. Running his eyes over the state of the younger man, Scott frowned.

"What did you do to your wrist?"

Following his gaze, Gordon was amazed to see the marks were still there. Somehow, whatever the Hood was doing to him to make him co-operate was showing on him physically. Wondering if he could make this work to his advantage without the man knowing what he was up to, Gordon shrugged.

"Caught it on the gym stuff, needed a release last night," he muttered, and by the stirring in his mind, he knew the Hood was pleased he was trying to come up with an excuse. But judging by the look on Scott's face, it had done the trick. He knew that Scott knew him well enough to know that Gordon _never_ used the gym equipment, not if he could help it. If he needed a physical release, he turned to the pool, even in the middle of the night. It was the only way he could think of that would give his brother some clue as to what was going on. "Just drop it, it's fine."

Scott nodded slowly, much to Gordon's relief, but his eyes had narrowed and he searched Gordon's face more intently. The younger brother knew in that instant the pilot had caught on to what Gordon had been trying to say, and was now trying to work out why Gordon was either lying to him or doing something that was not his norm.

"Virg is right, you know. You do look like crap; why don't you go and have a lie down?"

"No!" This time, it _was_ a yell and Gordon pushed his chair back violently. Standing up, he let it clatter to the floor as he backed away from them, shaking his head frantically as he did so. He was exhausted, he couldn't deny it. But he also couldn't give the Hood the luxury of walking around without anyone trying to stop him. He could _not_ sleep, no matter what happened. At his protest, he felt the Hood stirring in warning again, making it clear that he wanted Gordon to pretend to get some rest. In return, Gordon simply bit his lip, his own eyes narrowing as his head gave a throb. If the creep thought that he could make Gordon submit through physical measures, then he was in for a surprise. The redhead would have thought the night before would have given that one away. No matter what the man had thrown at him, Gordon had not given in.

"No, I can't, please don't make me..."

"Okay, easy. It's alright, you don't have to. No one is going to force you to do something you don't want to, you know that, don't you?"

Gordon could feel himself shaking at Scott's words, the Hood coming further back into control as he clearly realised the potential danger of where this conversation was going. Gordon let his hands drift behind him, resting on the counter, but finding what he needed. Someone had spilt something, and keeping his attention locked on the two brothers in front of him so that the Hood didn't know what he was doing, his finger began to move.

"Gordon, what is it?" Virgil stood up from where he had been sitting opposite his brother. He hadn't failed to notice the way Gordon's breakfast hadn't been touched, and he knew his brother hadn't eaten anything the night before either. If there was anything to set off warning bells, it was a Tracy not eating. What was concerning Virgil more, however, was that he was sure that Gordon hadn't drunk anything either.

"N-nothing." Gordon knew the Hood was getting angry, he could feel the man's control of his body returning. Somehow knowing that he was about to be forced to walk off, Gordon knew he had to speak again in order to stop them from following him. With the Hood working up into what felt like a rage, Gordon didn't want anyone near him.

"Gords..."

"Just leave me alone!" Not waiting to see the stunned expressions on their faces at his scream, Gordon turned and ran. The Hood let him, before interfering as he reached the stairs, once more driving Gordon towards the silos. For once, Gordon didn't fight it. He had to get away from the rest of the family; he had to deal with this on his own before anyone else got hurt.

Back in the kitchen, Virgil simply stood there in shock.

"What is _wrong_ with him?" he cried, his mind going completely blank as to what could be affecting their brother so badly. This wasn't just a bad rescue or nightmares. He knew Gordon, knew how the man reacted to those. The swimmer hadn't even touched the pool since they had been back. Virgil knew that this was something much deeper, something that Gordon clearly felt he couldn't tell them about. But anything that stopped him both eating and sleeping was something so great that it was obvious he couldn't cope with it on his own.

"I'm not sure," Scott murmured thoughtfully, walking forward. Virgil blinked at him. How on earth could Scott sound so quiet, so in control, when it looked like their brother was falling apart in front of them and they didn't know what was wrong in order to help?

"Not sure? _Not sure?_ Scott, this is Gordon we're talk-"

"Virgil, stop. I'm not sure, but I think Gordon wants us to find out. He does want help, and for some reason, he feels like he can't tell us."

"That's ridiculous," Virgil scoffed, automatically taking a few steps forward to follow Scott without thinking about what he was doing. "What on earth does he think is so bad that he can't tell us?"

Neither of the two saw Kyrano hesitate outside of the kitchen door, hearing the conversation within and wondering whether perhaps he had some of the answers they were looking for.

"How about something that could get us hurt?" Scott said softly, and Virgil swallowed hard, his frustration dying away as he realised that Scott might be right. Any of them would do anything to protect the others, no matter what the cost to themselves.

"What do you mean?"

"Look at this." Gesturing for his brother to continue walking towards him, Scott stepped to one side. It was true, someone had spilt coffee there that morning, and with both Kyrano and Grandma being preoccupied by other things, no one had yet cleared it up. But now, just about legible, three letters were scrawled into through the liquid staining the surface.

"S.O.S?" Virgil mused, frowning up at Scott. "But we're back on the island, what could possibly be getting to him now?"

"I think I might be able to help."

Both brothers jumped as Kyrano entered the kitchen. He looked sorrowful and as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders as he moved over to join them at the counter, fingers tracing what they now thought to be Gordon's plea for help.

"Kyrano?" Scott pushed gently, wanting answers but not wanting to feel like he was pressing the man.

"S.O.S. You know what it means?"

"A distress signal. A cry for help," Virgil answered, sitting on the edge of the table as he waited to see where this was going.

"You know what it literally means?" Kyrano continued, and the two brothers exchanged looks.

"Save Our Soul." Scott muttered, and Kyrano nodded sadly.

"This time, boys, I think your brother might mean it literally."

There was a moment of silence in the kitchen before Scott spoke again.

"We need to find him. And fast."

TBTBTB

Gordon let out a low groan, coughing slightly and wincing when he felt blood coming up.

"_I know you warned them somehow."_

"_How?"_ Gordon protested, letting out another groan as his body was suddenly rolled across the grating. They were in Thunderbird Two's silo, and to start with, Gordon had believed the Hood simply wanted to carry on with what he had been doing the night before. He must be gathering information, for he hadn't really tried to get Gordon to do anything other than carry out a thorough exploration. Gordon had vague recollections of being around Thunderbird Three the night before. It seemed the creep was just working through the 'birds. But as soon as they had reached the seclusion and silence of the silo, Gordon had found himself thrown to the floor. He had never thought it was possible to literally beat someone from the inside, but now he wasn't so sure. Especially now his nose was dripping blood, his lip had split and he could feel the bruises from where the man had flung him around. What was even more worrying was that it didn't seem to be hurting the Hood, it was only affecting Gordon.

_"Oh, I underestimated you Tracys before. I'm sure you found a way. But let me tell you now, any of them confront you on it, and I'll kill them."_

"_Never!"_ Gordon snarled, digging his fingers into the metal as he tried to push himself upright. A shockwave of pain ripped through him, making it feel like someone was trying to claw his insides out, and he arched, crying out momentarily before collapsing back with a thud, panting heavily. _"You know I won't stop fighting you. It will be two against one, and that is just going against Scott and Virgil. Do you really think that you can stop them?"_

"_But I have something that will have them submitting to me for the very same reasons that you fight me."_

Gordon had a horrible feeling that he knew where this was going, but instead of answering, he forced himself onto his knees, breathing heavily. He was not going to simply lie on the floor like the man had already won, not whilst he still could fight against him. Realising that Gordon wasn't going to ask the question he wanted him to, the Hood simply pressed on.

_"I have you. Their younger brother. Do you really think that they will try and fight me when they can hear me making you scream? And this time, there will be no miraculous rescue; they can't simply pluck you away from me. I can destroy you with just a thought, and before long, they'll know it."_

Gordon just breathed heavily, scowling. There was nothing he could say to argue back against that, for he knew that the man was completely right. Scott would die ten times over if it meant that he could protect one of his younger brothers and he knew that Virgil was not much better. He was not going to be used as a bargaining chip against the rest of the family. Very slowly, he began the agonising task of pushing himself to his feet properly. No sooner had he made it upright when something sharp shot through his leg and it crumbled underneath him.

"_What do you want?"_ Gordon gasped, still standing, but clutching his leg, determined to keep upright.

"_Who says that I'm not getting exactly what I want?"_ the Hood responded casually, but Gordon was ready for that one. Shaking his head, he managed to drag himself over to the wall and leant against it, glad of the support. He wasn't sure how much more the Hood needed to do before Gordon wouldn't be able to stand even if he wanted to.

"_You don't want them knowing. You've said so yourself. You need something here. You had me back in the tunnels, and they would have had no idea for hours. You know they are aware of something now; you can't expect to just possess me or whatever the hell you are doing and for my own family not to notice something is wrong. Even doing this,"_ he pulled himself up straighter, wincing as he did so. "_Even this isn't what you want, because you could have done that back at the rescue zone."_

"_Maybe I do want something. But maybe your resistance is annoying."_

Gordon couldn't help but smirk. Everyone from his own brothers to his enemy apparently thought he could be annoying; that had to be some sort of record, surely?

"_I told you, I'm never going to stop resisting,"_ Gordon muttered, gritting his teeth even though he was talking inside of his own head. He knew technically he might not have a choice - he was shaking a lot now and every inch of him hurt. But he was not going to give in.

_"No? But what's to stop me killing you and taking one of the others? Your oldest brother perhaps, turn him on the young ones that he is always so desperate to protect. Or the artistic one... He hasn't had the same training, he wouldn't be able to withstand the pain, surely?"_

"_Stop it! Why are you doing this?" _Gordon snarled. The Hood didn't answer, and Gordon swallowed hard when he felt the satisfaction coming out of the man. The Hood knew he had the power to win, and right now, Gordon wasn't so sure he would be able to stop him. Before anything else could be said, his body flew through the air again.

"No!" Yelling out loud, Gordon realised he had control back just in time to grab the edge of the railing as he went flying over it. Dangling, he grunted as his already sore arms screamed in protest - and made the mistake of looking down. The Mole was directly under him, and he knew that even thought it wasn't switched on, the drillwould kill him if he let go. Gritting his teeth, Gordon tried to pull himself up again, only for something to slam into his head like a mental probe.

"_What I want, you clearly can't give me. You are too weak-minded to see that giving in would protect your family. I'm going to destroy you, take another and then get what I want. And it will all be your fault."_

"No! No, don't!" Gordon sucked in a sharp breath as he watched the burn mark on his wrist begin to slowly spread up his fingers and down his arm at the same time. For a split second, there was only the mark, and then the pain hit. Gasping, Gordon instinctively let go, then yelped as he realised he was only hanging by one hand and the same sensation was beginning to spread across the other arm as well. Grabbing back on with the first arm, Gordon stared in horror. He didn't have the strength to pull himself upright, and he could feel his fingers beginning to loosen. It was the Hood, slowly teasing them away from the railing.

One hand went again, and as much as he struggled against the man, he could feel his other hand slowly beginning to unpeel itself from the railing.

"_You won't win!"_

"_I already have."_

Gordon's hand slipped and suddenly he was falling...

...and then he wasn't.

"Come on, I gotcha."

A hand was wrapped firmly around his wrist and Gordon could only stare as Virgil began slowly dragging him back up again. As soon as he felt his shins hit the railings, Gordon scrambled for purchase to help his brother, and with a thud, they both fell over as Gordon was hauled back over the safety of the railings.

"Virg, go..." Gordon panted, coughing again and feeling the blood against his lips. He shakily rolled over onto his knees and tried to crawl away from his brother, feeling the Hood begin to surface once more. The maniac had backed away in the belief that Gordon was falling to his death, clearly prepared to leave the redhead's mind. But now it was clear that Gordon was still very much alive, he was making his presence known.

"It's okay, Gordon, we know," Virgil said softly, horror in his eyes at both the state of his little brother and the scene he had walked in on. He owed John and the man's knowledge of the security cameras around the island big time. In fact, he knew that he owed them Gordon's life.

"No, please... Can't stop him... Go..." Gordon's voice trailed off into a groan as he was flipped onto his back. But then there were hands on his shoulders, holding his bucking body down, and a lap cushioning his head.

"You are stronger than him, Gords," Virgil whispered, finally starting to believe what Kyrano had been saying as they had searched the villa frantically for Gordon. He had been nodding along, but he knew by the expression on Scott's face that neither of them had believed what the man had said. Possession? It all seemed a bit surreal for men who dealt with the most advanced machinery the world had ever seen. But then he had reached the silos, seen Gordon thrown over the railing by something invisible, and knew that they were dealing with something none of them had ever dreamt of.

"Not..." Gordon whispered, tears of exhaustion and pain springing into his eyes and slowly beginning to trickle down his face. "Said he would...would...said he was going to..."

Whatever Gordon had been trying to tell Virgil, the Hood wasn't going to allow it. He resurfaced properly in the man's mind, throwing everything at him. For a moment, Gordon completely froze, his eyes going wide and glazed. Then his body suddenly jolted out of Virgil's grip and a scream tore from him as he collapsed back onto the ground. This time, his eyes stayed shut and he didn't move again.

"Gordon? Gordon!" Pulling his brother towards him, Virgil stared at the burn marks running up and down his brother's arms, took note of the blood coming from his nose and mouth and saw the bruises. The Hood had really worked his brother over, that was for sure. But despite the state of Gordon, Virgil couldn't help but smile sadly. For the Hood to have wanted to hurt him this much, it showed that Gordon had not been giving him anything. The man had been met with a fight, and considering the behaviour of his brother since they had returned from the rescue, Gordon had been fighting from the beginning. Running his hand through his sibling's hair, Virgil hit his watch.

"Scott? Get down to Two's silos."

"You found him?"

Virgil sighed heavily, looking at the still figure cradled in his lap.

"Yeah, I got him. It's worse than we thought. Scott, I have no idea what has been done to him."

"It's okay, Virg. You've got him, I'm on my way. We'll get Dad and Kyrano, they'll know what to do, they always do. He's going to be okay, Virgil, I promise."

Virgil nodded softly.

"I hope so. Just hurry, Scott, please." Disconnecting, Virgil moved Gordon into a more comfortable position and bent over his brother, trying to assess the damage that had been done.

"Oh, kiddo. What's he done to you?" he mumbled softly. What he wasn't expecting was for Gordon's eyes to shoot open. With a gasp, Virgil made to move backwards as the younger man's pupils blazed yellow, a clear sign that he was not addressing his little brother.

_"What he is about to do to you."_

The words came from Gordon's mouth, but there was no way it was his brother's voice talking to him. Virgil opened his mouth, not sure whether he was about to try and get back through to Scott or to address the madman in front of him, to try to make him leave Gordon alone.

But he didn't have time to do either as Gordon's hand lifted, grabbing him by the throat. Slowly, the redhead came up onto his knees, forcing Virgil down as he did so. It only took seconds until Virgil was flat on the floor, Gordon straddling him to avoid the artist's kicking legs. Virgil's fingers prised at Gordon's, desperately trying to make his brother let go.

"You're...str...stronger..." Virgil gasped, fighting as much as he could as black spots began to dance in his vision. He stared straight into the figure's eyes, trying to see past the yellow in an attempt to get through to his brother. He had to believe that Gordon was still in there. "F-fight..."

"_He can't,"_ a silky voice replied, and Virgil could feel his legs fall still. _"And neither can you."_

And with that, the grip around his throat tightened.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you so much for the lovely reviews. Special thanks to those I can't respond directly to, especially Whirlgirl!**

Scott had been staring at the pool when he received Virgil's call. How could they not have noticed this was not simply Gordon being tired? If Kyrano's explanations were right, Gordon had been in a fight for his life ever since they had returned to the island. But something must have happened before that, something in the rescue must have been overlooked in order for this to even happen in the first place...

The horror in Virgil's voice quickly snapped Scott out of his musings. Breaking into a run, the pilot sprinted for the silos. Virgil had sounded scared, almost as if he hadn't expected what he had found when he had locatedGordon. Scott found himself clinging to one thought. If the Hood was in Gordon, then he wouldn't be able to kill their brother without killing himself. He had no idea how wrong he was. But Scott knew that he had to keep thinking positively, he had to believe there was a way that they could get Gordon back from this in one piece. Put the field commander against an army, and he wouldn't even blink. But this one was well beyond Scott's comprehension; he took after his father too much in matters of the mind. He knew that he was running to his brothers, but also was fully aware that he had no idea what to do when he got there.

A heart-wrenching scream made him fling himself into the elevator, jabbing at the button frantically. That had been Gordon, Scott knew the sound of his brother's voice anywhere, no matter what was coming out of his mouth.

"Virgil? Virg, talk to me, what's happening?" Desperately trying to get an idea about what was going on down there, Scott bounced irritably on the balls of his feet as he waited for the lift to descend. Why was the stupid thing so slow?! He had a hurt brother to get to and this piece of machinery was preventing him from doing that! There came no answer through his watch, and Scott growled in frustration. He needed to be in there, needed to know what was going on with his little brothers.

"John?"

"Scott?" His immediate younger brother caught onto the note in Scott's voice as the man activated the link between them, and one glance at Scott's face had his heart sinking. "What's going on?"

"Something is seriously wrong with Gordon..."

"I know, he hasn't had a mood like this since..."

"No, John!" Scott yelled, cutting through his brother and causing John to stare at him in a mixture of hurt and shock. Scott blew out a long breath, one eye kept firmly on the controls. Maybe if he glared at them, the damn thing would speed up. "I mean really wrong. As in, he's in the silos, I'm in the lift and I still heard him scream."

All colour drained from John's face.

"Finally!" At last reaching the bottom, Scott ripped open the doors, running out into the silos and immediately making a beeline for Thunderbird Two.

"What do you need me to do?"

His star loving brother had finally managed to get his mind to work again and Scott shot him a brief smile as he ran. He knew that he could count on John.

"Get Dad down here, we might need him. And Kyrano, too, if you can find him. And tell Brains to prep the infirmary."

"What for?" John quizzed, and Scott stumbled momentarily. It was one thing giving the instructions to have things waiting for them, but what on earth did they need? For all the oldest brother knew, there was nothing physically wrong, meaning there was potentially nothing to treat.

"Change of plan. Get Dad down here. Get Kyrano to the infirmary, he might be able to help Brains."

If John was confused about why Kyrano would be able to help their resident genius, he managed to hide it well as he nodded. Scott knew that he should say something reassuring after the way he had delivered the news that something was wrong, but he had finally made it to his brothers as he had been speaking. The sight that met his eyes drove away any false words of comfort.

"Now, John!" he yelled, disconnecting then sprinting once again. Without pausing, he rammed his shoulder into Gordon, sending him flying off Virgil. For a moment, Scott twisted back, hating the way Virgil seemed to be just lying there. But after a split second's delay, Virgil took a great shuddering breath and began coughing harshly as he tried to breathe again.

"Virg?" Coming back to his brother, Scott tried to help the artist sit up, glaring at the bright red marks around his neck. That grip had been fierce. Virgil, however, simply shook his head, wheezing.

"Gor'n..." he croaked, his voice hoarse. Scott jumped back to his feet, turning towards the other brother present. But as Gordon slowly turned to face him, Scott knew what was wrong. The yellow eyes glaring at him with such hatred meant only one thing. That was not Gordon looking back at him. Scott wasn't sure whether Gordon was even capable of looking that evil.

"Hood," Scott growled, finally believing once and for all what Kyrano had been saying. This was wrong on so many levels, but he knew that his actions now could potentially mean Gordon's life.

"_So one of you knows who you are dealing with then. Maybe you're not all as completely weak-minded as I thought."_

"Where's Gordon?" Scott snarled, taking a couple of threatening steps towards the man. He could hear Virgil still trying to steady his breathing behind him and could see the bruises and blood on their younger brother. This man was responsible; he had hurt Scott's brothers. Taking another step forward, Scott couldn't look away from the yellow eyes, staring at him in an almost mocking way, reminding him precisely who he was dealing with. Anger pulsing through him, Scott clenched his fist.

The Hood saw the gesture and laughed. It was cold and chilling, sending shudders down Scott's spine that he wasn't quite sure that he managed to cover up in time.

"_You do that, you only hurt your precious brother. So if you want his blood on your hands, go ahead, it makes things so much easier for me. As for where he is, you could say he's not at home right now."_

"Let him go!" Virgil's voice was stronger now, his breathing back under control as he used the railing to pull himself upright. It was obvious that he wanted to come forward and join Scott, but both his brother's look and the fact he needed to hold on meant that he stayed where he was. Scott glanced between Virgil and Gordon, before reaching out and grabbing the front of his youngerbrother's shirt, pulling him closer. The Hood didn't even try to resist, instead just glancing down at the body he was in, once more reminding Scott there was nothing he could do to the Hood that wouldn't mean hurting Gordon first.

"Where is he?" Scott demanded, but it wasn't the Hood who answered, it was Virgil. Their enemy might be leering at them, a clear sign that he wasn't about to give away what was going on, but Virgil couldn't forget the sight of Gordon trying to crawl away from him when he had first pulled his brother to safety.

"Scott, Gords is in there, I know he is. He screamed, I think..." Virgil trailed off, staring at the Hood with a frown on his face. "I think he's just unconscious, that's why the Hood can talk to us."

The flash of anger flickering momentarily across Gordon's face was the only indication that Virgil was right.

"Which means that when Gordon is awake, he is still stronger. The Hood can't do anything outside of his body whilst Gordon is the one in control. He can fight him!" There was a spark of hope jumping into both brothers' eyes as they realised that despite the fact that the Hood was clearly controlling their brother, Gordon himself was some sort of safety net. The Hood couldn't even speak directly to them when Gordon was still awake. Scott tightened his grip and took a step backwards, pulling Gordon with him.

"Let's get out of here," he muttered, and Virgil nodded his agreement. But as Scott went to take another step, he suddenly found his hand let go of the front of Gordon's shirt as if something had burnt it.

"What the-"

"Scott!"

The pilot hadn't even had time to question what was going on before he found himself thrown against the wall. Gasping, he realised that his feet weren't even touching the floor, and as he stared into Gordon's hate-filled eyes, the man smirked. Slowly lifting a hand, Scott realised that as Gordon moved, he was being lifted higher. There was an intense pressure on his chest, making breathing hard. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Virgil trying to move forward, but all it took was a flicker of his loathing gaze, and the Hood kept the artistic brother back with ease.

"You won't win!" Scott gasped, feeling as if his ribs were beginning to crack under the pressure and he couldn't help but feel exceedingly lightheaded as Gordon gazed at him thoughtfully.

"_You know, that's precisely what he said. Just before I threw him over those railings."_

"What...what have you done to him?" Scott refused to acknowledge how hard breathing was getting, but even he couldn't deny the groan that escaped him as the Hood lifted him even higher and the pressure increased again.

_"You really don't want to know. Instead, you should worry about what I am doing to you. How much pressure can ribs sustain? And what happens when they snap and that pressure doesn't move, forcing them inwards before puncturing a lung or two? Breathing might be trouble then. In fact, living might be awkward then. You, Scott Tracy, have been a thorn in my side ever since International Rescue started."_

Scott was gasping for breath, but couldn't help but smirk at the fact he had made enough of an impact against the creep in order to be considered an annoyance.

"_The amount of times you have lost me money from blowing me off the road when I had something important to deliver. Oh yes, I'm going to enjoy this very much. Then maybe I'll turn on the others. Or I'll just take that Thunderbird you are so fond of. You've given me a demonstration of the weapons already through our encounters. Just think of what it could do to a poor little village in the back of nowhere. And this time, there would be no International Rescue flying to be the saviours once again."_

"Stop it!" Virgil yelled, watching in horror as Scott's eyes rolled slightly as he tried to breathe. "Let him go!"

"_Oh no, this is one brother that I am not letting go."_ With another flare of yellow eyes, the pressure increased again. Scott couldn't talk now even if he wanted to, gasping desperately for air but realising with a flash of panic that he couldn't get any. The Hood stepped slowly closer, and Scott tried to glare down at him. He knew the effect was lost somewhat as even moving his head meant black spots danced across his vision. He knew it would only be a few more minutes before he blacked out. Letting his eyes slide past the Hood, he glanced at Virgil, trying to plead with his brother to get out of here before the attention was turned on him. Virgil shook his head frantically, trying to move forward. Somehow, the Hood was still managing to hold him back.

Scott could feel his eyes flickering, feeling his body begin to sag slightly as it started to give in through the lack of oxygen. He tried to say something, tried to tell Virgil to run, Gordon to never stop fighting. But no words came out as his eyes shut.

"No!"

As suddenly as Scott had been flung against the wall, he was dropped unceremoniously to the floor. Whatever it was holding Virgil back snapped at the same time as Gordon stumbled away from them. For a moment, neither brother looked at their younger sibling. Scott was on all fours, gulping and gasping for air like a dying man. Judging by the soft sigh of relief from Virgil as he pressed his fingers against Scott's neck, he _had _been a dying man.

"Pulse is erratic but I guess it is good that you still have one," the medic muttered shakily, and Scott managed to lift a hand to grasp him by the shoulder. It took Virgil's quick reactions and his arm looped around his brother's chest to stop Scott from crashing down onto the floor again.

"Gordon?" Scott whispered, his voice even more hoarse than Virgil's had been previously. Virgil helped him sit back up but it was obvious that his younger brother wasn't going to let Scott try and stand. Much as he might want to, Scott had to admit he wasn't sure whether he would be able to make it upright yet.

Gordon was sitting hunched against the wall opposite them, his arms wrapped up around his knees and his head buried. As Virgil followed Scott's gaze, he couldn't help but bite his lip as he realised that Gordon seemed to be rocking slightly.

"Gords?" Virgil crawled forward slightly. Scott's hand shot out to try and intercept his brother, clearly not wanting Virgil anywhere near Gordon if there was a possibility that the Hood was still dominant and this was all some trick. Virgil simply ignored it. Having them afraid of Gordon would be playing straight into the man's hands. Besides, the Hood had clearly wanted Scott dead. He had had him there, Scott had been seconds from passing out. Why would he back away then just to trick them?

"Gordy, c'mon, it's okay..." Keeping his voice low and soothing, Virgil continued to approach his brother. He stopped just in front of him, not wanting to crowd Gordon. It must be bad enough having someone else in his head, the last thing that Virgil wanted was for him to feel physically crowded as well. Scott had begun to come forward himself, either wanting to help Gordon or making sure Virgil stayed safe, the artist wasn't sure which. He couldn't help but grimace at his brother's movement though, hearing the way Scott was groaning softly. Never mind getting Gordon to the infirmary, right now Virgil wanted them both up there.

It didn't seem as if Gordon was going to answer them for a long moment. He simply tensed, curling his limbs closer into him as if that would protect him from harm. Or, as Virgil thought more likely, protect the redhead's brothers. But eventually, his head slowly lifted.

Virgil could have shouted with relief when he saw there was no yellow present whatsoever, just Gordon's normal brown eyes blinking back at him. But the relief was short-lived when he read the expression in his brother's face. Pain was etched into every inch of it, his eyes swimming with tears, but lacking the energy to cry. Virgil found that he hadn't really noticed the bruises and blood when the Hood had been trying to kill both him and Scott, but now that he was looking at his brother, he realised just how bad Gordon looked.

"It's okay," he repeated softly, stretching out a hand. Gordon flinched away with a small whimper, and Virgil felt something break. Gordon never showed pain. He had been through more pain than any of them could understand after his hydrofoil accident, and yet Virgil could see in that one split second that his brother was terrified. As Gordon shut his eyes and groaned, Virgil found his eyes drawn to the redhead's arms. Even as he watched, one of the burn marks seemed to flare into life, moving slightly up Gordon's arm. Virgil stared in horror. Whatever the Hood had been doing before to control the aquanaut, he was doing again now. Gordon might be back in control at the moment, but the Hood hadn't really gone anywhere.

"Don't come any closer," Gordon whispered, his eyes pleading with Virgil to keep his distance.

"You're not going to hurt me, Gordy," Virgil replied steadily, knowing precisely what had Gordon terrified. It wasn't what the Hood could do to him - Virgil had watched his brother battle physically against the man earlier before he had lost consciousness. It was what the Hood might be able to make him do to his brothers that had Gordon so scared. "You're not going to hurt either of us, you're stronger than him."

"Not..." Gordon croaked, his eyes sliding shut for a moment before he stubbornly wrenched them open again. Virgil could see how much the younger man wanted to sleep, wanted to let his body rest after the abuse it had just been through. He could also see the equal determination burning brightly that told him Gordon was not about to let that happen. Considering what had just happened, it appeared Gordon was aware that when he wasn't "there", so to speak, the Hood had control.

"You are." Scott had come forward properly now, and despite Gordon flinching slightly, he placed his hand on his brother's shoulder, firm and reassuring, grounding him. "You saved my life, Gordon. You are much stronger than him. He can't act himself now, he has to do it through you. You are keeping him back."

"He's still doing it th... ahh..." Gordon's sentence was interrupted with a groan and his leg jerked, almost kicking Scott in the process. Moving his other hand, Scott gently pushed down on the leg, holding him still.

"We're not going to let him," he said reassuringly, smiling at Gordon. Virgil knew what he was doing. If they could get Gordon to believe that he was strong enough to defeat the creep, then Gordon would find that strength. Whilst he believed the Hood still had control, the battle was already half lost.

A couple of the tears Gordon had been trying to hold back trickled down his face as he looked up at his big brother with hope re-emerging in his eyes. Virgil found himself sagging slightly, relieved. But before he could say anything, Gordon's mouth suddenly opened in a wordless cry.

"Gords?"

"No, no, you have to get away!" he gasped, pushing himself away from them. Realising he was against the wall and therefore had nowhere to go, Gordon gritted his teeth. Using the wall, he forced himself into standing.

"It's alright, Gords..."

"No, you don't understand! He wants to kill you, Scott. It's so strong, I can't... no, just go..." Seeing that his brothers had no intention of going anywhere, Gordon pushed past them and ran. His brothers didn't realize that he was surprised the Hood allowed him to move away from the figures he wanted to destroy, instead they just stared after him.

"He's fighting," Virgil muttered, but Scott shook his head, a look of pride on his face.

"He's doing more than that," he replied, his voice as equally as soft. "The Hood wants me dead. Hate is a powerful emotion, right?" As Virgil nodded, a frown on his face, his brother continued. "And Gordon just overcame him enough to run. Love is still stronger. Our brother is not giving in any time soon, Virg. Come on, let's find Dad, I still want Gords in the infirmary."

"Scott, wait..." It was Virgil's turn to hold out his hand this time, stopping his brother for a moment. "When I got down here, Gordon was dangling off the railings. He was letting go. I don't think... I don't think the Hood's survival depends on Gordon's. If Gords continues fighting like this, what if-"

"What if the Hood kills him?" Scott finished, his face pale as he glanced up to where their brother had run. "We need to find him. The Hood has to do everything from the inside right? Meaning we simply don't let Gordon be on his own and we stop whatever he tries to do. If Gordon knows staying conscious keeps him in control, then you know what a stubborn ass that boy can be."

"And then what? You expect Gordon to stay awake forever until we find out how to get rid of the Hood?"

Scott opened his mouth to protest, but then realised he didn't have a comeback. He didn't know how to deal with this one.

"We need Kyrano," he ended up muttering, beginning to walk off as he did so.

"Infirmary," Virgil stated strongly, catching up with his brother and steering him in the opposite direction. To his surprise, Scott nodded.

"I want Brains to look at your neck."

Virgil rolled his eyes. "Not me, you idiot. You practically passed out from what he did, and I heard what he was talking about with ribs. I want you checked. Don't argue, Scott. I've just seen Gordon almost fall to his death and you being crushed. Let me do this."

"I had to stop him from strangling you and then look into that madman's eyes and know that it wasn't Gordon looking back at me," Scott said softly, and the two brothers glanced at each other for a moment. The corners of Virgil's mouth suddenly twitched.

"Truce?"

They both knew where that argument would go if they let it, and right now they didn't have time for petty squabbles. They had to be together on this if there was any way of getting Gordon back. Besides, Scott couldn't help but think that if there was any weakness between them, however small, the Hood would exploit it. They had to be united as a family.

"Truce. Let's get up there. Can you talk to John for me whilst I fill Dad in?" Scott asked quietly. He knew that he hadn't exactly left John with the best news when he had been sprinting to Virgil's rescue. His brother caught sight of his face and grimaced.

"Only half the story?"

Scott nodded, and Virgil immediately turned away from his brother slightly, raising his watch as he did so. Following the artist's lead, Scott patched himself through to his father. Now to break the news that his second-youngest son was being possessed by someone who wanted not only their secrets, but their lives, and there was only one person on the entire island who might have the slightest inclination about what they were supposed to do about it. Somehow Scott couldn't help but think this was not going to be the easiest conversation he had ever had with his father.

TBTBTB

Jeff was striding towards the infirmary, worry burning brightly in his eyes. He knew that was where Scott and Virgil were heading, and with no idea where to even start looking for Gordon, he wanted to make sure the older ones were doing okay before starting the search for the younger. He couldn't believe what he had just been told, and if it wasn't for the sincerity in Scott's voice and the way he had sounded so desperately worried, he wouldn't believe something like that was possible. In fact, he wasn't sure that he believed it now, but in order to keep the boys calm, he had just nodded. If Scott believed it, then something was definitely wrong, regardless of what it was.

A small noise in the corner drew his attention and Jeff stopped, glancing about him as he did so. He couldn't see anything and he was about to continue towards the infirmary when he heard something again. Swallowing hard, his eyes fell on the small closet in the corner. It was the same closet that a ten year old had once taken refuge in while sulking at having to move to an island and leave his friends behind.

Wondering if his son's old hiding place could once again be shielding him, Jeff crossed over to it.

"Gords?"

There was silence. But Jeff smiled softly. It wasn't a normal silence, but that of someone who had suddenly sucked in a sharp breath and then was trying to hold it so that no one could hear him. Whatever was going on with his fourth-born, it was clear that Gordon was still in there.

"I know you're in there."

"Please, go away. You have to go away, get far away as possible before..." Gordon's panic-filled sentence ended with a groan and the closet wobbled slightly as if the man's leg had jerked and kicked against the side by accident. Jeff may not have quite believed what Scott had been saying about the whole possession thing, but neither had he ever heard Gordon sound that panicked. The man sounded genuinely terrified that his father was there.

"Please, he'll kill you, just go... The others need you, you have to go to them."

"The other two have each other," Jeff responded softly, pushing at the handle. It didn't surprise him that Gordon had wedged the door shut with something, but that wasn't about to deter the worried father. He shoved again and the door opened a fraction before slamming shut again. That told Jeff all he needed to know. Gordon was holding it shut.

"Please, please go..." Gordon's voice broke into a sob, and Jeff suddenly pushed harder. He needed to get in there, he needed to be with his son. He could hear a soft moan, and with one final jerk, Jeff yanked the door open. Gordon was sitting with his back against the back of the closet, facing the door. His hand dropped as the door opened, and for a moment, he simply stared at his father in horror. Jeff had the same look on his own face. Scott had forgotten to mention that whilst there might have been something going on in Gordon's head, it was also having physical repercussions.

"No, no, you can't be here." Gordon leapt up and sprang past his father, clearly intending to take off down the corridor. It might have worked as well, if it wasn't for a madman in his head who wanted the Tracy patriarch dead even more than he had wanted to kill Scott. Gordon only made it a few steps down the corridor before he suddenly doubled over, clutching at his stomach as if he was going to be sick.

"Gordon?" Trying to hide how shaken he was, Jeff stepped forward. Gordon suddenly whirled around, eyes flashing dangerously and Jeff only just moved in time to stop the fist colliding with his face. Before he knew what was happening, Gordon was lashing out furiously.

And then Gordon stopped, arms wrapped around himself and stumbling back again.

"No, no, please...just go..."

"I'm not leaving you," Jeff said firmly, stepping forward again. The moment he stepped back within reach, Gordon's fist lashed out violently again. This time, Jeff was ready. He caught Gordon's left wrist in his right hand and spun his son around, pulling him back. When Gordon's back touched his chest, he then caught Gordon's right hand in his left. Wrapping their arms across Gordon's body, Jeff had him pinned. Gordon struggled for a long moment, and finally sagged against his father.

Using the wall to slide them down onto the floor, Jeff didn't dare let go. He never thought he would believe what Scott had said, but now that he was seeing the evidence for himself, the father had never felt more out of his depth as he did right now. Gordon was trembling in his grasp, and Jeff knew without having to be told that it was the Hood trying to make him move again. But Gordon was fighting against it, and coupled with the fact that he was physically restrained, even the maniac couldn't get him to move.

"Please..."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"...make him stop," Gordon whispered, and Jeff had to swallow past the lump in his throat as he tightened his grip to reassure his son. Gordon had sounded so young, so frightened and vulnerable, Jeff felt the fury spring into existence deep within him.

"It's okay, Gords." Despite what he was feeling inside, there was nothing but gentle reassurance in his voice as he rested his chin on the top of Gordon's head.

"I'm going to make him pay for hurting you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you so much once again for all of the lovely reviews, they really mean a lot!**

Scott sat on the edge of the pool, his feet dangling in the water as he stared with unseeing eyes across the horizon. The sun was just beginning to set as the day came to a close, but Scott barely noticed. The last he had heard, Gordon was with their father, the man somehow managing to keep him under control in some way or the other. Scott didn't know how... and had no way of finding out either. Both he and Virgil had been thrown from the main part of the house once Brains had checked them over. His father seemed to think that he had more chance of keeping Gordon under control if there was no one else around to infuriate the Hood. Personally, Scott wasn't sure it would be enough. If the maniac was after revenge, it would be the father that he would go for, not the brothers. They were just in the way; the leader of International Rescue was the one he wanted.

Scott knew without having to be told that Virgil had gone straight to his studio and would no doubt be churning out some music that would reflect the mood he was in. Scott had tried for his own escape, had tried to run as if to escape the demons chasing him, but it was no good. He had barely made it down to the beach before his eyes had been drawn back to the house again and he had slowly trudged back up. Knowing that his father was not going to be happy if he tried to get back in, especially if it made Gordon lose control and let the Hood surface for even a moment, the pilot had opted for sitting by the pool. He hadn't even meant for his feet to end up in it, but needed something to calm him down. Whilst he would never admit it, he needed something to connect him to Gordon, something for him to cling onto and believe that his brother was in there, fighting.

He had tried to talk to John about it, knowing that he needed to fill his brother in properly about what was going on. But that was just the problem. They had got halfway through talking about Gordon when the severity of the situation had hit Scott. The breath was driven out of him as effectively as if someone had punched him in the stomach and his voice had stuttered off. When John had received nothing from him but silence for a good moment or two, he had been forced to prompt his brother into talking again. Scott had quietly admitted that he had no idea what they were supposed to do in order to help Gordon, and this time, it was John who had gone quiet. For Scott – the big brother who always had the answers – to say that he didn't know what to do, just showed how wrong things were. An uncomfortable silence had stretched between them for a long moment, before John had said that he wanted to talk to Virgil and had cut the link, leaving Scott alone with unpleasant thoughts.

"You know, that is the prime position to get yourself pushed in."

The cheerful voice behind him made Scott freeze, eventually twisting his head to see his youngest brother striding casually from the house. The grin on Alan's face was a clear indication that he had finally finished packing and was obviously escaping from being drawn in to help Tin-Tin whilst he still could. But it was the relaxed look on his face that caused a hand to squeeze Scott's heart.

Alan didn't know.

"Don't look so glum, chum," his brother continued cheerfully, plonking himself down next to Scott and giving him a nudge with his shoulder. When Scott didn't react, his smile slipped slightly. "I'm only going for two weeks you know. Think you can cope without me?"

"It's not that, Al." Scott eventually spoke, knowing that he had to say something. They had all been so pleased that the youngest people on the island were getting a bit of a break from everything. It wouldn't do any good for Alan to feel like they were hiding something. He tended to hold a grudge more than the rest of the family, and if anything were to happen, he knew that Alan was never going to forgive them. "Something... something happened on the rescue."

"Yeah, I know. I listened in on debriefing." Alan grinned ruefully, using his foot to flick water at his big brother. "Gords got a tunnel on his head. We've all had worse, I'm sure he can handle it. He is a bit thick-headed at the best of times anyway."

Scott sighed, closing his eyes momentarily. He didn't want to be the one who had to deliver the bad news, didn't want to be the one to wipe the smile off Alan's face when the kid was so relaxed and carefree.

"Something other than that."

"He gave Two a paintjob when Virg confined him there?" Alan looked at Scott and felt the smile slip off his face completely. He had been getting the sense as soon as he walked out that something was bothering Scott, the tension across his brother's shoulders was visible from a distance. But feeling so cheerful himself, he had decided to just try and lighten his brother's mood rather than asking and potentially making it worse. Now it was apparent that no relaxed company was going to make Scott cheer up. "Scott, what's going on?"

"I wish I knew."

"What? Scott, c'mon man, I've got a plane to catch – well, fly – in three hours. I can't play guessing games with you all day, no matter how thrilling that might sound. Just tell me what is going on, please."

Scott finally turned to face his youngest brother properly, pulling one foot up out of the pool and curling it under his body to keep him balanced as he looked at Alan.

"You know all those movies you used to watch with John?" he asked quietly, having no other clue as to how to even say it. Part of him was still rejecting the idea that Gordon was possessed even upon seeing the evidence with his own eyes and accepting that there was no other explanation for it. But it still seemed absurd to be saying it out loud.

"I watched many things with John. In fact, I think I spent half my childhood watching the weird stuff that John seems to like. Slightly confused about what this has to do with the rescue though." There could be no denying that Alan had no idea in the slightest where Scott was going with this, and looking at him, the oldest brother sighed. He knew that he was just going to have to say it and then deal with the reaction afterwards.

"Gordon is possessed, Alan."

There was silence for a moment before Alan suddenly snorted with laughter. "Is that really the best the pair of you could come up with? That's even worse than when Gords declared Johnny was an alien. And that was when he was eleven! Really, Scott, what is going on?"

"I just told you."

Alan blinked at his brother for a moment, still smiling. But then he saw the expression on Scott's face, the way his brother's eyes seemed almost haunted. Alan swallowed hard, a frown beginning to make its way onto his own face. Glancing down, the frown deepened. Reaching out a hand, he tugged his brother's collar to the side, revealing an ugly bruise peekingover Scott's shoulder. It was clear that it went down his back as well.

"From the rescue?"

"From Gordon. I know it is hard to understand, Al. Hell, I don't think that I even believe it myself, and that was with seeing it. It's the Hood. He somehow has control over Gordon, and he... he can still use his powers. He almost killed Virgil..."

"And you by the looks of this." Alan had pulled his feet out of the water and moved behind his brother. Scott flinched as Alan examined the bruise. Not because it particularly hurt, but because it was a sign that things had got massively out of control. It showed that something was seriously wrong even if Alan didn't yet believe what Scott was trying to tell him. Sitting back down again, there was no trace of Alan's previous smile as he stared at Scott. "How is that even possible?"

"How is anything possible with that creep?" Scott muttered bitterly, thinking back to their past encounters and wondering the same thing himself. "Kyrano might know; this seems to be something up his street."

"So how do we help?" There was hope in Alan's eyes, the belief that Scott knew the way to fix this. The pilot glanced down, his hand automatically playing with his watch. It was taking every ounce of self-control not to just call John and get him to explain it. Out of all of the brothers, John was possibly the most open to something like this, even if his strong belief in science told him that it wasn't possible. After all, he had been the one watching all those types of films when they were young.

"Scott? What do we do?" Alan pressed when Scott didn't answer.

His brother sighed heavily.

"Stay out of the way," he muttered, glaring towards the horizon where the sun had now practically set completely. He hated that he had to be out here, that he couldn't be with Gordon, helping him fight the Hood. But when his father had approached Gordon, he had somehow managed to control his son. When Virgil and Scott had tried the same thing, they had almost got themselves killed. He knew that Gordon would have more chance of fighting the Hood if the maniac wasn't desperately trying to get to the surface in order to kill them. Not that he was planning on staying out here for long, just long enough for their father to try and get a grip on the situation.

Alan, however, was not happy with that plan. "Seriously? You are just going to sit out here and sulk when someone is taking over our brother?"

"There's nothing I can do, Al! I tried, damn, I tried so hard to get through to Gordon, and he only came back to us just as...as... well, just as I almost lost consciousness. The Hood is strong, and every moment Gordon resists him, he makes him pay for it. Me being near him just fuels the Hood's anger, so it only results in Gordon being hurt. What am I supposed to do? Deliberately go near knowing that it is putting Gordon in more danger?"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Alan muttered, backing away from Scott slightly and shaking his head. "You never give up this easily! Hell, you would never even believe something like this! If this is your idea of a joke, you need to get your priorities sorted, Scott. Say it _is_ true... how is sitting out here hiding going to help Gordon apart from making him think that you don't want to be anywhere near him?"

"It's not that simple, Alan!" Scott didn't mean to raise his voice, but his brother's words had stung. He had tried the same argument on their father when Jeff had made him leave, but the Hood's strength was more than they could anticipate, and even though they all had faith in Gordon, none were sure how long he could hold the creep back. A moment's slip, and they could all be killed. It wasn't fair on Gordon to be near him right now, not until his brother found a way of controlling the entity taking over his mind.

"Yes, it is! You just don't want to face him. You're scared!"

"So what if I am? You haven't seen him, Alan. There is nothing we can do to help; it has to be Gordon on his own."

"You're wrong. There is always something we can do to help." Backing away, Alan shook his head at his brother before turning and running into the house, calling for his immediate older brother as he did so.

"Alan, no!" Scott yelled, jumping to his feet and running in after him. Scott almost caught up with his brother just as Alan reached the foot of the stairs. It was apparent he was going to try and go up them to find Gordon, but something stopped both brothers. A loud thud followed by a curse floated down the corridor, causing them to glance at each other before heading towards the noise. Scott had a horrible feeling he knew what they were about to see. Whilst part of him wanted to protect Alan from it, he knew coming face to face with the truth was the only way his little brother was going to believe what Scott had been trying to tell him.

Sure enough, Scott's fears were confirmed as soon as they rounded a small bend. Their father was sitting shakily against a wall, rubbing his head and watching something in front of him. Following his gaze, Scott sighed at seeing Gordon huddled against the wall, his arms wrapped firmly around his knees and his hands clenched. His jaw was set and Scott could have sworn that he was biting his lip. Whatever the pair of them had been up to, it was clear the Hood had obviously just had a moment of resurfacing and hadn't appreciated the father's efforts to try and stop him. But whatever had just happened, it was clear that Gordon was still fighting with everything he had, because the positioning of the redhead right now was not one of a maniac trying to kill them, but of a scared brother.

Alan came to a sudden stop when he caught sight of his father and brother, glancing between the two of them anxiously before looking back at Scott. His older brother could see him visibly swallowing, trying to accept what he was seeing.

"You're all in on it, right? Making me think something is going on just because you don't want me to go away?"

Jeff climbed to his feet with a slight groan, smiling tightly at Scott as his son helped him stand. "You told him?"

"I had to. Dad, he can't just go thinking everything is fine."

"I'm right here, you know," Alan cut in, indignantly. "What the hell is going on? I thought... crap, I thought Scott was having me on."

"Alan, you have to understand, this is not something we have ever dealt with before..."

"No. No, don't you dare say there is nothing we can do, Dad. Gordon? Hey, Gords, what they talking about, dude? You're okay, aren't you?" Moving closer to Gordon, Alan didn't see the alarmed look shoot over Scott's face. He made to step after him, but Jeff laid a hand on his arm, shaking his head slightly as he watched his two youngest through narrowed eyes. Perhaps Alan would be the one to be able to get through to Gordon. They were extremely close and if anyone was able to do it, it would be the youngest member of the family. And, much as he hated to admit it, Jeff knew that Alan had to accept the truth on this one. If he couldn't get through to Gordon, he was about to find out the hard way that what they had been saying was true.

"Dad..." Scott's mutter showed that he had realised what his father was thinking, and was not happy about Alan potentially being in danger. Jeff, however, simply shook his head again.

"See, knew they were being idiots. You're fine, aren't you, Gords?" Reaching out his hand, Alan hesitated as Gordon tucked himself closer to the wall, shying away from his brother. "Gordon? Gordon, stop this! All of you, stop it, it's not funny! Look at me, man!" Grabbing Gordon by the shoulder, Alan tried to forcibly turn his big brother.

After a moment of resisting, Gordon suddenly turned. Taken by surprise, Alan stumbled back a few steps, a frown appearing on his face as he glanced at his brother, then at the older members of the family.

"What..?" He barely got the whisper out before Gordon's eyes flared yellow as he slowly began to climb to his feet. Jeff grabbed hold of Scott's arm, pulling his son behind him as he took a step forward, ready to intervene. Virgil had told him how the Hood had promised that the oldest brother wasn't going to get out of this alive, and Jeff was taking no chances. But what he knew he did have to do, however, was give Alan the chance to pull Gordon back.

"Gordon? Gordon, come on, this isn't funny..." Despite his words, Alan backed away from his brother as Gordon coldly smirked. It was not a look he had ever seen on his brother's face before. For a moment, the look flickered and Gordon took a step backwards, causing Jeff to suck in a sharp breath in the hope that it was working. But then it was as if he could visibly see the change taking place. This time, when Gordon's eyes flashed, Alan's feet left the floor.

The young man barely even had time to cry out before he found himself hitting the wall. Rather than sinking down it as he expected, he simply stayed where he was, his toes only just scraping the floor. Scott leapt forward, pushing straight past his father as he recognised the position as being the same one that the Hood had held him in. Within seconds, he had tackled Gordon, throwing them both to the floor and allowing Jeff to go to Alan. The Hood's hold had broken the second Scott had distracted him, and Alan was sent sliding down the wall. Grabbing hold of his father's outstretched hand, he nodded in gratitude as he was pulled to his feet.

"Now do you believe us?" Jeff muttered softly, wrapping an arm around Alan's shoulders and turning him to face Gordon. Scott had managed to get him pinned to the floor, and Gordon had managed to hold back the Hood again, trying to get away from Scott. His big brother wasn't letting him go anywhere though, and the pair of them just stayed locked into the floor.

"What's happening?" Alan whispered, his voice shaking slightly.

"We don't know, son. But now you understand why you have to make your flight earlier and get out of here?"

"What? No!" Alan pushed away from Jeff, staring at his father as if he had gone mad. "Dad, I'm not leaving when Gordon is like this."

"You can't help, none of us can." Jeff said, the frustration evident in his voice. "We wanted you to know so that if you made contact and we didn't have time for a chat, you knew why. But it is too dangerous for you here."

"I'm. Not. Leaving." Alan responded stubbornly, breaking free from Jeff's grip completely and backing up, out of his father's reach.

Before anything else could be said, Scott flew off Gordon, hitting the wall with a sickening thud even as the redhead jumped to his feet and took off to a different part of the house. Sighing, Jeff moved across the hallway and repeated his actions in pulling a son to his feet. Scott grimaced, feeling the back of his head tenderly and wondering what else was going to end up hurting before this day was out. As his father turned back to his little brother, Scott stepped forward. Resting one hand on Alan's shoulder, he looked him in the eye.

"You're in more danger than the rest of us, Sprout. What if the Hood disappears for a bit? You know that you will be the one Gordon comes to; it's always been like that with the two of you. Neither of you may realise what is about to happen, and he could really hurt you before any of us can get there."

"And he could do the same to any of you. I don't get how me leaving helps anyone!"

"Al, kid..." Scott rolled his eyes as Alan shoved his hand off his shoulder, glancing the other way. He was no happier about this than Alan was, but knew that he had to keep them safe. "Think about what it would do to Gordon. We're older, he doesn't have the same sense of protection like he does over you..."

"Crap. He does and you know it."

"He won't come to us, but he'll want to make sure you are alright." Changing tactic wildly, Scott glanced towards the stairs. "And what about Tin-Tin?"

"What about her?" But Alan's voice had softened, and when he glanced back at Scott, the fire in his eyes had flickered out as concern took its place.

"It's the Hood possessing Gordon, Alan."

"So?"

"So he's her uncle. Kyrano is his brother. The same brother who has resisted him for as long as we have known him. Do you think the creep is going to be happy about that? Face it, he's getting to Dad by going through us. What's to stop him from doing the same to Kyrano?"

By the paling of Alan's face, Scott knew his point had been made.

"Scott's right, son. You can protect her. She doesn't even need to know what is going on if you don't think she'll believe you. The pair of you are scheduled for some well-deserved rest. Take her away from this place, keep her safe."

"But... he's my best friend," Alan muttered under his breath, glancing at Scott but avoiding eye contact with Jeff. Scott subtly moved so that he was standing in front of Jeff, an indication that he wanted his father to go and find Gordon and let him handle this part of the conversation. Luckily, his father took the hint and Scott felt a hand give his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before the presence behind him disappeared.

"I know. And you are his. It's bad enough that he is being forced to hurt Virg and me, but you? Al, it would kill him knowing he hurt you and there was nothing he could do to stop himself. Please, take Tin-Tin and get out of here whilst you can. You'll be helping him more than you realise."

"Promise that you'll..."

"Every day. More often if something changes. And if we think you being back will help, you'll be back before you can blink. But please, this is a way we can keep you both safe, and give Gordon a chance of fighting back. He won't want you hurt, you know that. Yet he can't stop himself. Let him have this chance at protecting you like normal?" As he was speaking, Scott's hand slowly drifted up to rest on Alan's shoulder, and this time, his little brother didn't shrug it off.

"What do you say?"

"I'll do you a deal," Alan muttered, sighing heavily. No matter what was about to come out of his mouth, Scott knew that he had won. He could see it in Alan's eyes, especially the way they flickered momentarily towards the stairs.

"What?" Scott asked, his stance softening now that he knew that Alan was giving in.

"Next time Virg hurts himself, I'm kicking you out. You won't be allowed with ten miles of him."

"Al, the island isn't that big."

"Exactly," Alan said with a grin, finally giving in. The smile faded as he once again glanced at the stairs. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"

"Do you trust me?" Scott said softly, following his gaze. He knew precisely what the problem was. Alan was being made to chose between Gordon and Tin-Tin.

"You know I do."

"Then go. We'll look after Gordon, and you can look after Tin. Unless, you would rather one of us took her...?"

Despite his teasing tone, Alan still blushed and shot Scott a mock-glare.

"Can I just..."

"No. You're not going near Gordon again, you saw what happened. Now go on, go and tell that girlfriend of yours that you are leaving early. Go _on._" Nudging his brother towards the stairs, Scott waited until he had disappeared up them before sitting down on the bottom step and running a hand through his hair, blowing out a long breath as he did so.

"That could have gone worse."

A quiet voice sounded, making Scott jump. He simply shrugged though, knowing that he didn't need to look up to know what expression was on Virgil's face.

"Do you think he believed you?"

"All the stuff about it protecting Gords if he isn't here?" Scott looked up and gave Virgil a wry smile. "Who knows? But if it gets him out of here, then who cares? Gordon almost killed us both; what chance would Al have? No, let him have his holiday whilst thinking he is helping. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, let's just keep him away from Gordon for the next hour."

"Hour?" Virgil asked, coming to sit down next to his brother. He had only come out of the studio for a drink, but had arrived just in time to hear Alan hit the wall. Keeping out of sight in case it made things harder for Gordon, he had simply watched events unfold, even if he did smirk at the deal Alan had tried to make. He knew the bond between his two younger brothers was almost identical to the one he himself had with his oldest brother. After all, if pushed he might even have to admit Scott was his best friend as much as Gordon was Alan's. "I didn't think they were going for another couple?"

"Alan might think him leaving is protecting Gordon. If that is the case, the kid is going to be off the island as fast as he can get the jet fuelled up. You know he hates us smothering him. Give him the chance to turn the tables and he jumps on it."

Virgil rolled his eyes, nudging his brother with his shoulder and standing back up again, glancing down the corridor where his father and younger brother had gone.

"Are you going after them?" he muttered softly, biting his lip with indecision. He knew that their father had told them to stay away, but right now, he wasn't sure if that was helping. Surely it would be easier if they were all together? After all, if Scott hadn't arrived when he had down in the silos, then Virgil wasn't so sure they would be sitting here having this conversation. The Hood might be powerful, but he was still only one man. Regardless of what he was thinking, however, Virgil wasn't going to go on his own. He would follow Scott's lead.

It didn't come as a surprise when his big brother just shot him a grin.

"Of course. Come on, let's go and help Dad."

As Virgil nodded his approval, Scott stood up and the two brothers disappeared down the hallway. Alan was safe now, he would be away from it all.

Now all they had to do was sort out the next brother.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you once again for the fantastic support!**

Despite Virgil catching Alan trying to get to Gordon at least three times in the following hour, the youngest members of the island departed without an incident. Scott and Virgil stood side by side on the edge of the landing strip, the former having offered a commentary the whole way through Alan's take off. But now their brother had gone, a heavy silence had fallen between the two of them. Both knew they needed to return to the house, but neither could quite bring themselves to do it. Whilst they were out here, everything was peaceful and at ease, exactly the way it should be. Returning to the house meant returning to the nightmare they had been forced into.

"We really should help Dad." Scott eventually muttered, and Virgil made some vague noise of confirmation. It wasn't that they didn't want to be in there fighting to save their brother, it was that they didn't know how. For Scott, nothing could feel worse. He had always sworn to protect them, and on most occasions, had succeeded. The amount of physical threats he had saved his brothers from over the years was beyond counting. But the pilot was out of his depth on this one. Much as he wanted to help Gordon, Scott hadn't the slightest idea how. That was why he was reluctant to go back in, he was hesitating about facing how much he had failed his brother. As if knowing what he was thinking, Virgil gave Scott a gentle nudge with his shoulder.

"There was nothing you could have done, so stop beating yourself up over it."

"But how did we not notice this had happened? When did it happen?" Scott protested, not believing a word of what Virgil had just said. Gordon had spent most of the rescue confined to Two, and on the one occasion he had then been let out, Scott had been so preoccupied making sure he was guiding Virgil with the Mole, he hadn't really considered what he had been sending his other little brother into, just trusting Gordon to get the job done.

Virgil rolled his eyes and started heading back to the house. Jeff had said a brief goodbye to his son in the hallway, but Alan had understood that he needed to stay with Gordon. The redhead hadn't been seen since he had fled from the scene earlier on by any of the brothers, despite Alan's efforts to locate him. But the now two remaining siblings knew that their father was with him, attempting to help Gordon regain some sort of control, or at least try and stop him if the Hood did re-emerge again.

"We'll get John to go over all the recordings and stuff from the rescue, but knowing what happened isn't going to change that it did. I doubt the Hood would have left us with a manual about how to get him out again. Right now, we have to help Dad with Gordon. If Gords was present, I know they were going to come up with a plan of him keeping control. And if he wasn't...then Dad will need our help. Besides, before you go into failure mode, you did save my life down in the silos, Scott."

"But..."

"John, come in." Virgil shot Scott a withering glare as his brother tried to protest about doing anything to help. There was a moment silence that seemed to stretch on for a lifetime before John finally answered. Judging by the tone of his voice and the paleness to his face, Virgil knew that he was already trying to find ways to help their brother.

"What's up, Virg?" He muttered quietly. Virgil winced, knowing that John must have been in the middle of something in order to sound like that. But he couldn't handle Scott on his own with this one, he needed his other big brother.

"Tell Scott it's not his fault?" Although it sounded like a childish request, John immediately softened. He should have known that their older brother would not be taking this well. Matters of the mind had never been Scott's strong point, and this was almost his worst nightmare. There was nothing he could do to help Gordon. The real problem was that he knew Gordon knew it as well as Scott. The redhead knew he had to fight this on his own, and whilst he may have accepted that, his big brother had not. Scott had sworn to protect them, and the Hood was making him break that promise.

"Scott. It's not your fault." John said simply, and Virgil smiled. John's voice might have been mirroring the same childish as his own request, but it was what was needed. There was no point in trying to soften anything, it would do no good. Scott just had to accept there was nothing he could have done.

"But..." Once again, the oldest brother was interrupted before he could get more than a word out.

"Go to the lounge," John ordered, signing off without another word. John hadn't necessarily realised that they were still out on the runway, meaning that he wouldn't know how long it would actually take them to get to the lounge. Virgil took a few steps towards the house, Scott falling into step with him. For a moment, there was silence. But then Virgil slowed, and finally stopped. When his older brother glanced back at him, Scott could see the artist chewing on his lip, his eyes locked on the part of the house they could see from here.

"What?"

Virgil jumped, almost as if he hadn't realised what he had been doing. He gave his brother a sheepish grin, but didn't take another step.

"I don't want to go back in there." He muttered quietly, and Scott smiled sympathetically. He walked back to Virgil and let his hand rest on his brother's shoulder for a moment.

"Gords?" Virgil nodded, his eyes not moving from the house.

"The look in his eye." He admitted, trying to shrug off Scott's hand as if he was attempting to brush off the whole incident. Scott, however, merely tightened his grip, not fooled for an instant.

"You know it wasn't him, right? It was that creep."

"What if we can't get him back, Scott?" Virgil whispered, finally tearing his eyes away and looking at Scott in such anguish that it caused the older brother to switch his own gaze. Neck craning around, Scott glared at the house, furious with the Hood for putting his brothers through this. Gordon should be running around annoying everyone and Virgil should _not_ have that look on his face.

"We will." He said firmly, hoping his overly confident tone would hide his real doubts. The look Virgil gave him indicated that it had failed, but his brother smiled nonetheless. Scott would not stop until he had done everything that was in his power to help Gordon, and more. Virgil appreciated the pretence, the need to act as if things were going to be okay, regardless of how out of their depth they were both feeling.

"Come on, John will be waiting for us." The artist eventually muttered, forcing his feet into moving. He still didn't particularly want to come face to face with the Hood again, especially as it would mean he would be seeing hate filled eyes gazing at him from his younger brother's face. The two brothers fell into step, silence once more stretching between them. Neither really knew what to say, but considering how in tune they were to each other's feelings, neither of them really had to say anything. The other already knew what would come out of their mouths.

Climbing up the hill, Scott hesitated for a moment before pushing open the sliding doors to the lounge, glancing once more back at Virgil.

"You okay?" He asked simply, needing to know whether his brother would be able to stay focused if Gordon was in the room. Virgil rolled his eyes and nodded. Scott knew that look. What had happened on the runway stayed there, for Virgil was not about to admit his insecurities to anyone other than Scott. Offering him a small smile, Scott pushed open the door.

Judging by the noise from the lounge, they weren't the only ones to have been summoned. Their father was in there, as was Brains. Scott glanced around.

"Where's Gordon?"

"With Kyrano." Jeff responded softly, smiling tightly in greeting. "They are in the infirmary, we were just about to call you in anyway, there is something we need to discuss. Alan get off okay?"

"Not if Scott's commentary was anything to go by," Virgil muttered, moving into the room and sitting himself down. John's portrait was already active, but the blond was facing away from the rest of the family. Whatever it was he wanted to tell them, he was clearly still sorting it out.

"He was fine, Dad." Scott said with an eye roll, moving past Virgil and throwing himself into his normal seat. "Is Gordon...?"

"Yes, he is okay." Jeff interrupted, knowing precisely what his son was going to ask. "Well, alright as can be expected considering the circumstances."

"It happened in the tunnels." John suddenly announced, cutting through his father's and brother's conversation. The blond finally turned to face the rest of the family, hitting a button. A larger version of the statistics from the rescue suddenly took over Virgil's portrait. "They took him out of them."

"But how was that possible? We would have picked up the reading, surely?" Virgil was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees and his chin resting in his hands as his eyes scanned the readings, trying to work out what it was that made John sound so certain. He knew that John had been looking into the rescue, trying to figure out what had happened, but he thought it would take his brother longer than this. Not that he was doubting John, not at all. But Virgil knew how often the Hood had managed to pull one over them. He thought the maniac would have covered his trackers deeper.

"I'm not sure, but I think the Hood knows about the watches. I got the idea when we couldn't find him earlier. His watch indicated that he was in his room, and no one thought to check because we never take them off. His watch spent the whole time in that tunnel, but that doesn't mean Gordon did." John continued, his eyes bouncing between the readings and the rest of his family. It was true, he was working on a hunch that involved their enemy knowing more about them than they thought possible. It was not an easy conversation to be having.

"How do you know though?" Virgil pushed. It wasn't that he didn't believe John, but looking at the readings, everything seemed stable. It wasn't the only time Gordon had been on his own during that rescue, and both him and Scott had been preoccupied by the potential danger of the Mole drilling through the unknown ground structure.

"This." John said simply, tapping away at something before enlarging the heat sensors. Both Scott and Virgil glanced at each other, not wanting to admit they had no idea what John was getting at. The readings seemed stable for the whole time Gordon had been in the tunnel. A single heat entering, joining four others. They had stayed in the tunnels for a while – Gordon had said that one of the men was injured – then all five signals had left again. There was no indication that their brother had been possessed in that time frame.

Jeff glanced at his two remaining earth bound sons, and had to admit a wave of relief hitting him at their blank faces. He had thought he had been the only one not seeing what John was getting out. Jeff opened his mouth to voice his confusion.

"John, I-,"

"Fine. _This."_ Rolling his eyes at the fact the rest of the family couldn't see what he was getting at, John once again hit a couple of buttons and zoomed in on one reading in particular, not letting his father finish his sentence. "There was a flare. For a couple of moments, those readings doubled before they settled again."

"A fault?"

"A duplication." John counteracted, barely glancing at his father. "Don't you see it?" One look at the blank look on the rest of the family's face had John rolling his eyes with a sigh.

"The Hood knew how we monitored each other. It's true, Gordon did go down and help four people. And it is also true that all five of them left at the same time. But they didn't stay in the tunnels in the meantime. For a time frame of about five minutes, the readings doubled, one set fading out, before they remained steady again. In the long run of the rescue, five minutes is nothing, I would have never have noticed if I wasn't looking for it. But you look closely, this readings remain at a steady 37.5 degrees."

"So?"

"Typical body heat. But those tunnels were cold, Gordon's had dipped when he entered them."

"John..."

"For God's sake, how aren't you getting this? Gordon met the men, then was dragged off. They left his watch and some sort of heating system, making it look like all of them were still there. I would have only just glanced at the reading, I was too preoccupied with you two. It would have done enough. Then, almost an hour later, the same flare happens. When it settles, it's on roughly 37.4, and changes slightly as they move."

"They came back, deactivated the heaters and walked from the tunnels like normal." Scott muttered, meeting John's eye and receiving a relieved nod in response. John was just glad that someone understood where that whole thing had been going. Virgil saw the look, he too catching on to how they had done it, but bit his lip, frowning slightly.

"That's great, John. I mean, to pinpoint it, awesome and all that. But I don't get it – so we know that Gordon disappeared somewhere for about an hour and came back possessed. How does that help us?"

"It helps us because it tells us something." John may have been answering Virgil, but his eyes were locked on Scott. By the way his brother's hand was clenching slightly, Scott was thinking along the same lines.

"What?"

"Where the Hood is based." Scott muttered quietly, and as his father and brother glanced at him, it was obviously taking all of his self control to not jump up and start pacing. Or worse, fly out to the rescue zone.

"Scott?"

"They were gone for an hour, right?" John nodded, his eyes burning with the same gleam that Scott's were. If they had a base, they had a way of getting one over the Hood. Possibly enough to give them leverage over the maniac to make him relinquish his hold on Gordon.

"So say it took ten minutes for the Hood to do whatever he needed to in order to possess Gordon..." There was no stopping Scott now, he was up and pacing. Virgil and Jeff exchanged looks, but neither of them made a move to stop him. Brains' head was following Scott's every move.

"Meaning they were potentially about 15 minutes away from where Gordon met the so called victims. The Hood would have wanted to make sure it was far enough away that Virgil or I didn't stumble across it by accident."

"Make it twenty minutes away." John cut in, his overly bright eyes fixed on Scott. The two of them seemed to have zoned out the rest of the family, finally feeling like they were getting somewhere to help their brother now they had a potential location. A base made the Hood human. And someone human, they could defeat. When Scott frowned at John's new timing, the blond shrugged.

"Gordon wouldn't have gone willingly. They would have to have been forcing him, meaning it would have slowed them down." Scott nodded at John's quick thinking, moving over to the portraits and studying the readings closely. The image John had enhanced was almost like a map of the tunnels. There was a splodge of colour showing where the readings were coming from, the rest of the tunnels dark. The eldest brother was muttering to himself as his finger ran over the lines.

"There!" Scott suddenly shouted, causing everyone other than John to jump. He glanced at John's portrait, saw the small smile on his brother's face and knew the astronaut had come to the same conclusion as him.

"The large opening?"

"Big enough to be a cave. Big enough to be a hideout." Scott responded softly, blowing out a shaky breath. John ran his hand through his hair and began tapping away.

"I'll see if I can enhance anything, get a clearer read-out of what you are going to walk into."

"Excuse me?" Jeff had stayed quiet as he had watched his sons figuring out what had happened, proud that they still had their heads screwed on even after everything. Scott's smile slipped as he glanced over his shoulder at his father. "What makes you think you are going anywhere?"

"Dad, we have the guy's base, we can take him down."

"How?" Jeff pressed softly. "He's not there, Scott. He's here, on the island, in your brother."

Scott suddenly stopped pacing, the colour draining from his face slightly. It was only Virgil jumping up and forcing him back into his seat that stopped Scott's legs giving out. The pilot swore, and Jeff didn't have the heart to reprimand him. He knew precisely what was going through Scott's head. With a location, he could fight. He could fly out there and do something that would make him feel like he is helping. He had just overlooked the fact that there was nothing there for him to fight, the threat was here, on the island. And it had manifested in such a way there was nothing Scott could physically do. Something the oldest brother was not taking too well. John too had fallen silent, staring at the controls in front of him as if wishing they would suddenly come up with a solution.

"You said you wanted to talk to us about Gordon?" Virgil couldn't deny the need to break the silence, it was unnerving him how silent and tense Scott had suddenly gone. He knew that if he didn't turn the conversation to the fact there was nothing they could do by knowing what had happened, his brother was going to explode.

"Not here," Jeff responded softly, worried eyes watching Scott. It was if the young man had managed to get himself all fired up for a fight, only to have someone pull the plug on his adrenaline. "We need to do this in the infirmary, with Gordon. John?"

"Meet you there," the blond muttered, reaching out and disconnecting. It wasn't just Scott whose thoughts Jeff could almost read. He knew John felt bad for giving Scott that hope there was something they could do, only to have it all taken away from them again.

The rest of the family made their way to the infirmary. Jeff walked in without so much as a blink, but Virgil found himself hesitating again, his words from outside running through his mind. Scott froze from where he too was about to step through the door and glanced back at his brother. Taking a step backwards, he gripped Virgil's elbow, forcing him forward a pace.

"Nothing can happen, Virg. Not with Dad in there. Not with Kyrano there." Scott knew better than anyone the quiet strength the Malaysian possessed, and if anyone understood what was going on with Gordon, it would be him. It was just grating on Scott that it was their loyal friend who was the one with the answers, not him. He had been the one to swear to protect Gordon, and yet had to watch from the sidelines. Virgil nodded, allowing Scott to steer him through the door.

Gordon was sitting on one of the beds, his legs swinging freely over the side, Kyrano by his side. The action made Virgil relax. His brother may have been pale, and almost seemed to jump violently when the rest of the family stepped through the door, but the action was so typically Gordon, Virgil knew the Hood had been pushed back for now.

"How are you feeling, kid?" Scott took a seat on the bed opposite, a frown on his face as his eyes roamed Gordon's face intently. The redhead just shrugged, and both of his brothers grimaced sympathetically. Normally when sick or injured, Gordon was as bad as the rest of them at voicing his protests that he was fine. The fact that he clearly couldn't lie about this showed just how bad things were. His hands were gripping the side of the bed anxiously, and he seemed to be making a visible effort to keep his breathing under control.

"Gordon." Kyrano's soft word had Gordon's head jerking up, and then he sighed, smiling slightly at his friend and forcing his body to relax. Virgil glanced between the two of them and then back to Scott. Luckily, his brother had calmed down slightly. Whilst it may be annoying Scott that he couldn't be the one to help, there was no way he was about to stop Kyrano aiding their brother.

For a long moment, silence filled the room. To Virgil, that was just a sign of how wrong things were. It would have normally been Gordon who would have broken it, but the redhead was studying the floor. His hands were slowly beginning to tighten their grip on the edge of the bed once more.

"So...Dad said you had something to say?" The artist eventually said, grimacing at how falsely light-hearted he had managed to make his voice sound. John had reconnected to the conversation via Jeff's watch, and they all knew he was listening hard. Gordon nodded, then glanced at Kyrano.

"Can you..?" he whispered, eyes pleading with the man to be the one to outline their plan. Virgil felt something clench in him. Even lying there half-dead after his hydrofoil accident, Gordon hadn't sounded this scared. As much as it might be frustrating Scott there was nothing he could do to help, it was obvious that it was scaring Gordon more. Kyrano nodded, resting a gentle hand on Gordon's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"We need to do a rota of who is going to stay with him." He spoke quietly, but Virgil got the feeling he was starting in the middle of their plan. Scott looked up sharply.

"That's easy, I'll do it."

"Around the clock. Without resting. For however long this takes?" It was Jeff who spoke now. He had come up on the other side of Gordon, his own hand resting on his son's shoulder. It had been an awkward conversation to have whilst the other two had seen Alan off. But Kyrano had done something...something that seemed to force the Hood to back away for a while at least. If Gordon could keep this control, they had a fighting chance. But the father could see the way his redhead's hands were scrunched up and how he was visibly forcing himself to keep calm. It was draining him staying in control.

"What's the plan?"

"Gordon can't sleep." Kyrano said gently, causing Jeff's hand to tighten in reassurance as Gordon sucked in a sharp breath.

"How does that help?"

"You may have realised what happens to Gordon physically doesn't affect the Hood?" Kyrano continued, his gaze flickering between Scott and Virgil as he willed them to understand this first time. The more they had to explain what was happening to Gordon, the harder it would be on all of them. "But tiredness does not just affect the body. It will drain him as much as Gordon. Yet he has to be maintaining his concentration to stay in control..."

"So the plan is to simply wear him out?" Virgil asked, eyebrows raised in disbelief. He didn't like the talk of it draining Gordon as much as the Hood.

"Basically." Kyrano picked up from where he left off. "But we can assist Gordon. The Hood may not feel any negative repercussions on Gordon's body, but he doesn't feel the positive ones either. We can keep stimulation going, adrenaline, caffeine for example. We can keep Gordon's body going through exhaustion, but the Hood will not be able to maintain his grip for long."

"How long do you think it will take?" Scott's voice was quiet and he was gripping the bed with almost the same intensity as Gordon.

"He has already helped by keeping Gordon awake last night," Jeff said, concern burning in his eyes as he watched his oldest son. "But..."

"We don't know." Gordon cut in, and it was only then that Virgil realised how much this was affecting his brother. Gordon's voice was trembling, and he sounded exhausted already. He was also refusing to meet their eyes.

"No." Scott had climbed to his feet again, crossing over to the window and staring out, his arms folded across his chest.

"Scott..."

"He's already nearly killed Gords. And Virg. We can't just wait for this one to be ridden out."

"He's almost killed you too." It was Gordon who answered, his eyes fixed on his big brother's back. "I was there, Scott, I felt it. But Kyrano knows what he is doing, and trust me when I say there is no other way."

As he spoke, Gordon glanced at Jeff, who smiled reassuringly. Scott hadn't been the only one who didn't like the sound of the plan when Kyrano had outlined it to Jeff and Gordon. The latter was terrified he was going to kill someone before he exhausted the Hood enough to kick him out of his mind.

"But..." Scott turned, and his own pain was written all over his face.

"I can do this, Scott. You know I can." Gordon didn't so much as glance at anyone else, finally letting his eyes meet Scott's. Seeing that it was his brother who was looking back at him rather than some maniac who wanted them all dead made Scott's resolve crumble. He needed to have more faith in his little brother, and mutely nodded. Jeff practically beamed. He knew that Virgil and John would follow Scott, and if his eldest accepted the plan, the rest of the family would be on board also.

"I know you can." Scott said softly, finally allowing Virgil to tug him back down onto the bed.

"Scott, Brains, start pre-flight checks for Thunderbird Three."

"Dad?" It was John's voice echoing around the room now, spiralling out from Jeff's wrist. The father glanced down and smiled, seeing the hope in John's eyes. His son would have never have asked, but Jeff knew where John wanted to be. Right now, that was not stuck in space.

"Someone has to be with Gordon at all times. With Alan, Tin-Tin and your grandmother away, we need all the hands here. Five can cope on automatic for a while. If they don't come up now, tiredness might stop them from coming."

John let out a noise of excitement and disconnected, clearly beginning to pack. Scott stood up, taking Brains by the arm and practically marching the man out of the room.

"I need a coffee..." Jeff muttered, getting to the door before remembering his previous words about not being able to leave Gordon alone. Virgil caught his hesitation, and grinned.

"Good job I've got nothing else to do. I'll stay." He said softly. Despite his teasing tone, it was obvious that he was more than happy to stay and feel like he was doing something to help his brother. He smiled at Gordon, and ever so slowly, the aquanaut smiled back.

Maybe they could get through this after all?


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you so much once again for the lovely reviews and support, it really means the world to me.**

John had never had such a silent journey home. None of the three occupants onboard Thunderbird Three really knew what to say to one another. John was well aware of the situation; it wasn't as if anything needed to be explained. Hating just sitting there dwelling on what was happening back on the island, John took the controls from Brains. With the genius acting as his co-pilot, the pair of them banished Scott to the back, and one glance at the monitors ten minutes later showed he had fallen asleep. John was glad. He had a feeling they were all going to be running on a short fuse in the upcoming days as they tried to keep Gordon awake. It would be good if at least one of them was well-rested.

But Brains had never been the most talkative of people and John had grown up keeping his thoughts to himself. Without Scott's irritable tapping, there was silence as they flew home, John pushing the 'bird to a higher speed than he was technically supposed to. He caught the disapproving look that Brains shot him and knew the man was not happy about the way he was treating one of his beloved creations, but the astronaut wanted to get home. Besides, she had flown faster – every time Alan was in control he pushed her to greater speeds than John was doing now.

Despite their speed, darkness had still fallen by the time John asked for permission to land. Considering it was Kyrano who cleared them, the blond knew it meant his father was still in the infirmary with Gordon. Frowning, John skilfully brought the rocket back to her resting place, mind working overtime for how they were going to make this work. Technically speaking, the best way of keeping Gordon awake was for them to rotate. If they were fresh and alert, and the Hood did decide to make an appearance, they would be able to fight him off. If they, too, were exhausting themselves by refusing to leave the youngest person left on the island, there would be no telling what the maniac could do if he caught them unaware. But judging by the fact Scott had reappeared the second John had touched down and was hindering more than helping as they attempted to get the post-flight checks done, he knew it was going to be a battle to get the others to share his way of thinking.

He could only hope that Virgil was on his side. With his grandmother visiting friends back in Kansas, he couldn't rely on her rolling pin to make the rest of his family see sense. But despite having planned a way to make sure the family defeated the Hood, John found nerves taking up residence as Scott led the way to the infirmary, Brains disappearing off to one side to allow the brothers some privacy.

"John?" Scott had reached the doors, only to turn and find his immediately younger brother wasn't where he thought he would be. John had been in step with him most of the way up from the silos and yet now was almost halfway down the corridor. John simply swallowed and met Scott's eyes. It was enough for the older brother to move back towards him and place a comforting hand on his shoulder for the few seconds he knew John was comfortable with before pulling away.

"He's still Gordon, honest. The eyes change when the Hood comes through. It makes it... makes it easier to deal with, y'know? Means you can just look and see the eyes and know it's not him. But if you look at his expression... Let's just say I wouldn't want to have met Gordon when he was in WASP if he can look like that."

Scott's attempts to lighten the situation were appreciated, but met with a scathing look. It was alright for him, he had been there, he had seen the change happening, been able to fight back. John had just heard Gordon's voice, and had spent every second wondering who it was that was talking.

"John. Are you really going to stand out here and keep him waiting? He's already tried to distance himself from us, and from what he has said, the Hood wouldn't stop gloating about it."

"Of course I'm not going to keep him waiting," John snapped back, brushing past his brother and heading at speed towards the infirmary. He didn't need to look to know that Scott would be shaking his head with a fond smile. Sometimes his brother knew him too well, the astronaut couldn't help but muse as he finally entered the infirmary.

"And there he is, our very own space-man!" To say that Gordon sounded cheerful was an understatement and John found himself rolling his eyes. If he hadn't known what had happened, he would have never said that anything was wrong, but looking Gordon in the eye, he felt something grip around his throat. His prankster of a brother looked nothing short of haunted, and John noted the way his eyes never settled in one place, but instead were bouncing around the room almost nervously.

"Hey, Squirt," John muttered softly, moving into the room and smiling at Gordon, trying to keep his expression neutral. It didn't help that he felt as much on edge as his brother looked. How would they know if the Hood was making an appearance? A hand quickly and briefly squeezed his elbow, the movement so fast and smooth John knew no one else would have noticed it. But even so, he smiled in thanks at Virgil, receiving a nod in response. It had been enough to ground him, enough to mask his fear. If Virgil had noticed, who was to say that Gordon himself hadn't?

"Nice flight?"

It took John a moment or two before he could think of a response. Gordon was acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary, but that was when his older brother glanced at his eyes again. Apart from the haunted appearance, there was something pleading in Gordon's gaze. It was almost as if he was desperate for John to go along with it, for him to also act as if nothing was wrong. Sitting down and trying to force himself to at least appear relaxed, John smiled.

"Brains fussed," he said with a non-committal shrug of his shoulders, and Gordon immediately grinned, launching into a mock-rant against their genius. John caught Scott's eye as Gordon began to accompany his rant with wild arm gestures. Scott smiled, but it was full of sadness. They both knew what Gordon was doing. He was trying to overcompensate for what was happening, determined to act like his normal self. Unfortunately, the fact that he was trying too hard meant his brothers saw straight through his act.

"Where's Dad?" John muttered to Virgil out of the corner of his mouth, letting Gordon continue. The red-head hadn't seemed to notice that no one was really listening to him.

"Talking to Kyrano. It was his idea. I haven't seen Dad like this for a long time, he doesn't know what to do..."

"Do any of us?" John interrupted gently, leaning over and giving Virgil a gentle nudge with his shoulder. The tension that had subtly been building up in the artist immediately disappeared and he shot John a grateful grin. Apart from their father, Virgil had been the only one to be alone with Gordon. If he had already felt the strain in the few hours it had taken John to get home, the astronaut was glad they had already agreed to shifts. If nothing else, they would need time to burn off the frustration.

"Gords?"

It was only Scott's quiet voice that made John realise his younger brother had fallen silent. His head whipped around and automatically he tried to take a step towards Gordon. Virgil's hand, however, wrapped around his arm, shaking his head ever so slightly, his gaze fixed in the same direction as his brother's. What little colour Gordon had had drained away, his eyes shut as his hands gripped the side of the bed, taking deep, controlled breaths. He didn't answer for a good few moments, and John could have sworn that the silence stretched on for a lifetime.

"I'm good," he eventually muttered, his eyes once more opening as he blew out a long breath, trying to shoot his siblings an easy grin, although the effect was somewhat lost by the way his eyes swam with unshed tears. Scott shook his head softly, moving forward and squeezing the back of Gordon's neck reassuringly. The grateful look Gordon gave him made John swallow hard.

"I'll be right back, just want to get a few things unpacked before I forget," hne muttered, moving from the room and deliberately avoiding Scott's gaze. He knew his big brother would see straight through his act, but John needed a moment. It was one thing hearing about what was happening through their advanced technology, it was something else entirely actually watching Gordon battle a presence in his mind and know that there was nothing he could do in order to be able to assist his little brother. He was surprised that Scott was dealing with this so well, or at least putting on a good enough act of doing so. John hated the feeling of helplessness, it was something he had experienced far too often when he was on Five and the rest were on a rescue. But to still have that feeling when he was at home on the island, staring the problem in the face... that was hard.

"John?"

The blond jumped as he heard the infirmary door open behind him and he turned to see Virgil slipping out.

"What are you doing?"

"I could ask you the same question. Scott said that you looked like you were struggling with this."

"He said that? In front of Gordon?" To say that John was surprised was an understatement.

Virgil grinned ruefully. "Okay, he implied it. He's right though, isn't he?"

The older of the two rolled his eyes. Why did it not surprise him that Scott had known precisely what he had been thinking, and had then somehow managed to gesture it to Virgil without Gordon realising? His immediate older and younger brothers had a scary way of being able to communicate, often with nothing more than their eyebrows and pointed looks.

"I'm alright."

Virgil snorted in disbelief and John shot him a wry look, unable to resist reaching out and ruffling the younger man's hair. The pout on Virgil's face made John laugh. Circumstances be damned, it was good to be home. "Okay, I'm not right this second, but I will be. I've heard him try and hold the creep back, but to watch his face just close down like that, you could say I wasn't expecting it."

Virgil smiled sympathetically, but to John's mind, it was just a sign of how wrong things were that he didn't offer words of comfort. This was not a hurt they could just make better, and Virgil's silence showed that he was finding this as difficult as John was, despite having had longer to come to terms with what was happening.

"I don't know how Scott does it," he muttered, glancing over his shoulder at the infirmary doors. "He's not putting on an act, his behaviour is genuine. He doesn't seem fazed by it in the slightest."

"You know Scott," John responded gently. This time, he did know what to say, and was just glad that he could offer comfort to at least one of his little brothers. "He'll believe he can fix this. You know how you all planned a rota?" As Virgil nodded, John couldn't stop the small smile on his face. "You do realise it's going to be a battle to get Scott to leave, regardless of whether it is his turn or not?"

Virgil rolled his eyes with a slight groan, and John laughed. His brother moved past him, heading towards the kitchen and muttering something about needing a drink. John frowned for a moment, realising a potential problem with their plan. They seemed to have reached an understanding that whoever was taking a turn with Gordon would not leave him for even a second. So things like trips to the kitchen and the bathroom were going to be interesting. Biting his lip slightly as he stared with unseeing eyes at the infirmary door, John felt his mind working overtime to try and find a way around this problem. In a way, he was grateful for it. It was something practical, something that had a solution; it was just a matter of finding it. It was something he could to help.

He hadn't moved by the time Virgil came back again, still staring into space as his mind whirred through possibilities. It was only his brother's small nudge that brought him back to reality again.

"Are you coming back in?"

Despite the fact he hadn't even moved in the direction of his unpacking, John nodded. That could wait, and would prove a useful excuse if he needed some air again. Right now, he needed to be back in with his brothers and he followed Virgil through the door without a word. Gordon simply looked up at the pair of them, but the look Scott gave him made John feel like his big brother was searching his soul. John offered half a shrug and rolled his eyes, causing Scott to back down with a small smile. It wasn't just Scott and Virgil who could communicate without words, the older two had also mastered reading each other's body language.

"So, Johnny..." Gordon's voice made John tear his gaze from Scott and he glanced at his younger brother. "You up for a mammoth slumber party?" Despite the situation, there was a genuine excitement in Gordon's voice.

"Not sure, kid. Are you?"

"Hell yeah. The old camping trips back in Kansas, we used to go for about a week without sleeping. This is going to be a walk in the park."

John didn't want to point out that that was when Gordon had been about nine and full of sugar. Not to mention he had fallen asleep the second he got back home again, without the consequences being quite so deadly. If his expression earlier was anything to go by, he was only just managing to hold back the Hood for now when he was fairly rested (despite one missed night's sleep) and alert. This was not going to be as easy as Gordon seemed to be implying, but, determined to keep the cheerful mood, John smiled.

"Reckon you oldies can handle it?" Gordon continued with an easy grin, lying back on the bed and folding his arms behind his head, ankles crossed as he grinned at them challengingly. Virgil snorted, also glancing at his older brothers whilst appearing to ignore the fact that Gordon was including him in that assessment.

"Scott?"

The smile tugging at the corner of his lips betrayed to Scott what John was about to say, and he grinned.

"Get 'em."

When Jeff returned to the infirmary ten minutes later, he lasted for all of about a minute before turning and fleeing. There was no way he was about to get in the middle of that war, not with the way the pillows were flying around the room at astonishing speeds. It had been bad enough when they were young, but coupled with the training they had all been through, Jeff knew only his sons could turn a pillow fight into something involving military planning and tactics.

There was no way he was about to stop them, however. Echoing John's earlier thoughts, he knew this was only just the beginning for Gordon. Hell was about to be unleashed.

TBTBTB

"Do you want a..?"

"No."

"Not even a..?"

"Virgil! I don't want a damn coffee!"

Virgil glanced down, nodding softly and trying to keep himself calm. It had been two days since the plan had been set into motion, three since Gordon had last slept. And it was beginning to show. The first few day had gone smoothly, the red-head's natural energy keeping him fighting against the Hood, keeping him positive and awake. But now exhaustion had firmly set in, and Gordon was struggling. Caffeine had only taken him so far, and Brains was administering adrenaline as often as he could in order to try and keep his heart rate too fast to let Gordon sleep. No one could deny that he was still fighting furiously against the Hood – on the two occasions the maniac had managed to force his way to the surface over that time frame, he had been met with a strong resistance that caused him to back away again. Kyrano had said that was a good sign, that the exhaustion Gordon was feeling was also being felt by the Hood. But Gordon's practically non-existent temper was beginning to flare into life now he had gone so long without rest.

Standing up from where he had been sitting on the bed, Virgil walked over to the window, avoiding Gordon's gaze.

"I'm sorry, I just..."

"I know," the elder brother replied softly. He knew Gordon was struggling, they all did. His outburst of temper at John earlier that morning had made them aware that this couldn't go on. It was getting harder and harder for Gordon to watch them leave, knowing they were going for a rest, when he had to stay there and try and be civil to the next person who came to babysit him.

"I don't get why I can't at least be in my own room," the redhead grumbled, throwing himself into a chair from where he had been pacing and glaring at nothing in particular. He knew he was being unfair, but he couldn't stop himself.

"You were the one who came up with the idea of staying in here, remember?" Virgil turned to face his brother, wincing sympathetically at just how bad Gordon looked. "You're too comfortable in your own room, falling asleep is too easy."

"I know, I know," Gordon sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes. Unable to face the sheer helplessness in his expression, Virgil turned back again. He was glad that his father was taking over in just under an hour, for the artist wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. He knew how to handle Scott's temper, even John's. But Gordon? That was a different matter entirely.

"Is there anything you need?" Still not facing his brother, Virgil didn't see Gordon stiffen with a wordless cry, his expression crumbling as his eyes changed colour.

_"Not like you would be able to get it, is it?"_ A harsh voice sounded, and Virgil froze.

"Gordon?"

_"What's the matter, Virgil? Don't want to face the truth? How can you compare? There is Scott, the apple of his father's eye, your commander and leader in all things. John, with the intelligence to allow him to do anything he wanted and nothing would have stopped him. This one here, an Olympic gold medal winner. And even little Alan, the family's baby. Who are you in all of that?"_

"Hood," Virgil spat, slowly turning back again and facing Gordon with a sinking heart. One look at the cold expression on Gordon's face, and he knew that it was no longer his brother he was talking to. Without even thinking about what he was doing, his finger hit a button on his watch, alerting Scott to the fact that they had a problem. Gordon's eyes followed his movement.

"_Always have to go running to big brother now, don't you?"_ Pure venom was dripping from Gordon's voice now, but Virgil didn't notice the slight smirk turning up the corners of his mouth. Unknowingly, Virgil had just given him exactly what he wanted. The artist didn't answer, leaning against the wall and folding his arms, glaring at his little brother. Against the wall, the Hood had nowhere to throw him, and despite not wanting to see the hatred in Gordon's eyes, Virgil knew he couldn't turn away, not even for a second.

_"What's wrong, Virgil? Can't handle your little brother on your own?"_

Ignoring him, Virgil just continued to glare. The sound of the door opening was one of the most welcoming things he had ever heard. Gordon stiffened from where he had been leaning casually in the chair, but relaxed again when he saw Scott entering, the pilot's eyes darting everywhere.

"Virg?"

"We've got a problem," the artist responded almost casually, barely turning his gaze from Gordon. Scott followed his gaze, saw Gordon's relaxed position and shut his eyes for a brief second, clearly composing himself.

"Get out of here," he muttered softly, following Virgil's lead and not taking his eyes off Gordon as he gestured for his brother to leave.

"I'm not..."

"Get Dad and Kyrano. We may need their help. I'll hold him back until then."

"No way."

"Virg." Scott looked at his little brother. But before either of them could do anything else, the Hood straightened up a little in his chair. Virgil had taken half a step towards Scott, clearly telling him that he wasn't going anywhere. But before he could do anything else, his eyes widened in surprise. The Hood's own eyes were pulsing.

"No!" Scott lunged forward just as Virgil toppled, catching his brother and lowering him to the floor. Virgil's pulse was steady and his breathing fine, he was just unconscious.

"_You do like protecting them, don't you, Scotty? But we both know you fail at it."_

"Where's Gordon?" Scott growled, fists clenching and his posture tense and threatening.

"_Having a little nap. Do you honestly think not sleeping would be able to hold me back?" _As Scott frowned – the Hood had barely surfaced over the last few days, and Kyrano had been convinced it was through emotional exhaustion – the man laughed. _"I stayed low because it worked in my favour. You've all let your guard down, thinking your pathetic brother was stronger than me. And now look, I have you all alone..."_

Scott's hand flew to his watch, but suddenly, the pilot gasped. It was as if his fingers had frozen, he couldn't move the last few centimetres in order to summon help. Trying in vain, he eventually gave up when he caught sight of Gordon climbing to his feet.

_"I believe I promised that I would destroy you, Scott Tracy."_

"You'll never be able to destroy any of us, not whilst we have each other," Scott spat, dropping his hand back to his side. He could still move it without a problem, as long as he wasn't going for his watch.

_"Really?"_ With a smirk, Gordon's body seemed to arch slightly. Scott watched in confusion as he gave a soft cry and his eyes fluttered. By the time he looked back, the yellow in his gaze had gone.

"Gordon?" Already moving, Scott was reaching out to his brother even as fright-filled eyes locked on him.

"Scott?" Gordon's voice was nothing more than a tremble, and Scott inwardly cursed. The Hood had a point. He was already destroying them.

"It's alright, I'm here..." Scott murmured reassuringly, reaching out a hand to rest it comfortingly on Gordon's shoulder.

"_That's what I was hoping for_."

The Hood was back. Scott didn't have time to react before Gordon's hand had swung up, catching his wrist in a tight grip and wrenching his arm up behind his back. Scott fell to his knees, feeling the pressure pushing him down.

"What are you doing?" he growled, trying to shake the man off whilst letting his weight shift, making sure he had full movement. One blow did not take down the ex-Air Force pilot.

"_Keeping my promises_," the voice snarled, and Scott moved. Twisting his body, he turned so that although the Hood still had hold of his arm, it was no longer bent behind him. Throwing up his other arm, Scott cursed. The needle that Gordon had been about to plunge into his neck was thrown off, glancing off his collarbone as Scott's arm deflected the blow. Luckily, although the pilot felt the sharp sting of the needle, he knew that because it had hit the bone, whatever the contents were wouldn't have the desired effect. Lifting his foot, he kicked Gordon in the stomach, forcing him backwards and making him let go of his arm. It may have hurt his brother, but it still helped keep the Hood back.

Scrambling to his feet, Scott watched him guardedly, waiting to see what the next move was going to be. He didn't have to wait long as the man's eyes suddenly pulsed yellow. This time, however, Scott was ready for him. Rather than being flung backwards, he instead gritted his teeth and tensed his body. It felt like a shockwave rippling through him, but he stayed standing.

"_Oh very impressive,_" the Hood spat, fury etched into his face. He began circling Scott as much as the room would allow, but the man didn't move, instead just letting his eyes follow his brother's movement. When the Hood lashed out at him, Scott simply bent to one side, causing the blow to miss.

"_You want to play it that way, do you_?"

Scott didn't answer, watching him closely and waiting for any sign of what the Hood was about to do next. The circle was narrowing, the maniac getting closer and closer until he was suddenly within arm's reach.

"Scott..." It was Gordon's voice again. "Scott, hurts...make it stop..."

Scott bit his lip. Every instinct screamed at him to immediately pull his brother closer, to try and protect him. But that was how the Hood had lured him in on the first blow, and he knew Gordon was only surfacing because the Hood was letting him. As much as he had faith in his brother, Scott knew the aquanaut wasn't strong enough to stop the man this time. The Hood was simply using Gordon against Scott, and it was working. Scott froze, not being sure whether he should reach out for Gordon again or not.

It was only when he went sliding down the wall, all the breath driven out of him, that he realised that this was what the Hood had been aiming for all along. He couldn't touch Scott with physical blows without distracting him first. The pilot was too well trained and the Hood was having to use a body he didn't know, with the occupant fighting against him furiously. But with Scott on the floor, gasping, he had the upper hand.

Scott didn't even have time to think of getting to his feet again before the first kick landed. Grunting as the foot sank into his stomach, he made to roll away, determined to get up and fight back. But the wall was directly behind him, and Gordon directly in front. He could only move ever so slightly as another blow landed, this time knocking his head back and causing it to hit the wall. Seeing stars, Scott was vaguely aware of being pulled to his feet. He felt the tensing in Gordon's arm, knew the man was about to fling him away, and reacted. Looping his own arm around Gordon's and then holding onto his shoulder, Scott managed to pull his brother down with him as he fell, skidding them both across the infirmary and into a cabinet on the other side. It fell with a crash, Scott just about scrambling out of the way.

"Gordon?" Wondering if having half a cabinet on top of him would be enough to drive back the Hood, Scott moved forward. But once again, he had underestimated the Hood.

The cabinet went flying off, smacking Scott in the chest and throwing them both across the room. This time, Scott could only lie there, gasping. Something had definitely cracked, and breathing was becoming difficult. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Gordon getting to his feet, and with a groan, Scott tried to pull himself upright. Panting, he didn't make it very far before he slid back down the wall. Virgil was going to have a field day with this one; the pilot was sure at least two ribs were cracked, if not more. Gordon was moving again, and Scott didn't have time to react until his brother pulled him to his feet, causing him to groan in pain again. A hand fisted in his hair, slamming his head back against the wall before the pilot once more found himself being flung across the room. Scott's luck had officially run out as his forehead smacked against the metal bar on one of the beds and he crumpled to the floor.

"Scott!"

The door burst open as Scott tried to push himself back up again, head spinning and feeling like he was going to be sick. There was a ringing in his ears as he blearily made out the figures of his father, John, and Kyrano come running into the room. At the same time, Virgil let out a moan and opened his eyes. John dropped down next to him and helped Virgil sit up before looking back at the Hood.

"_My promise still stands, Scott."_

With a groan, Scott managed to turn his head slightly to see Gordon go for the window. John and Kyrano sprang after him, but by the time they had scrambled over the upturned cabinet, Gordon was gone. John half forced himself out of the window until he realised he had no idea which direction his brother had taken and that it was foolish to go after him alone. Turning back to the room, he saw Virgil and their father crouched anxiously beside Scott, the former pale but seeming to be okay.

"Think... I think I broke something..." Scott slurred, attempting to fix his gaze on Virgil as his arms shook from where he had been trying to push himself up.

"Shh, just lie still." Jeff's hand was resting on the back of Scott's head comfortingly, his eyes brimming with concern over the state of his son and the room. There was mess everywhere, and he knew that it must have been one hell of a fight. Scott was lucky if all he had done was break something, but even as the thought flickered across his mind, Scott's arms gave way.

The pilot gave a long groan as he landed on his ribs, his head turning to look at Virgil again. He wanted to ask his brother if he was alright, but before he could do so, the last blow to his head got the better of him and he passed out.

The remainder of the family looked at each other for a long moment before Virgil summoned Brains and got his father to lift his brother onto the bed, slowly beginning to remove Scott's shirt to assess the damage. He knew they were all thinking the same as him.

If the Hood could use Gordon effectively enough to take Scott down and leave him in this state, what chance did the rest of them have?


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you so much once again for the fantastic support, it means a lot!**

Gordon opened his eyes with a long groan, looking around him in confusion. Shakily pushing himself up on violently trembling arms, the redhead winced as a rush of memories flooded through his mind. It was as if he was being shown everything the Hood had done when he had taken control. Gordon had tried to warn Virgil he was coming, but it was as if he had frozen, not able to utter even a word as the presence in his mind took over with full force. He had been awake for some of it, vague snatches of the scene that had been playing out around him infiltrating his consciousness. He could also remember the Hood forcing him back in control on a couple of occasions, using him as bait against Scott to try and lure him in.

"Scott!" Jumping to his feet, Gordon swayed, exhaustion more than prominent. The last image he could see of his brother was Scott lying on the floor, pain written into every inch of him and the rest of the family crowding around. And then everything once again went blank, and Gordon just assumed that was when the Hood had been making his getaway. It would certainly explain why he was now down on the beach. But it wasn't the beach the family occasionally relaxed on, or even the one that Scott ran down. It was one on the far side, one only Gordon ever went to because of the unpredictable tides and strong currents that occurred around this part of the island. Staring about him, it took a few moments before Gordon found his brain was capable of a rational thought, but then he knew that he had to get back to the house.

_"Good idea."_

"Haven't you done enough?" the prankster spat, icy venom lining his tone. The others had truly believed that he would be able to hold back the Hood, that he would somehow be stronger than a maniac who knew precisely what he was doing. Despite being slightly touched by their faith in him, Gordon had tried to argue, tried to tell them it was putting them all in danger. But Kyrano had insisted lack of sleep would weaken the creep and Gordon had trusted him enough to agree to go along with it. Dragging a hand through his hair, he blew out a long breath. That had been a mistake. He had glimpsed enough of the Hood's intentions to know that if the rest of the family had not arrived when they did, the chances were he would have been made to kill his brother and would have been able to do nothing to stop himself.

If the Hood agreed that going back to the house was a good idea, then Gordon decided that was the last thing he was going to do. Making to sit himself back down on the rocks and just stay there, he cried out slightly as every muscle in his leg locked, freezing him into place.

"_What makes you think you have the right to decide what to do? You are mine now, you are in my control. Your attempts to take charge, whilst amusing, are getting irritating."_

Gordon couldn't help but smile ever so slightly. He could feel the man's annoyance and knew in that one split-second that he was not supposed to be the one in control now. No doubt the Hood had hoped the exhaustion, coupled with the fight in the infirmary, would keep Gordon back for good and this would be his chance to do whatever it was he had come to the island for in the first place. But whilst the rest of the family might have overestimated him, Gordon knew the Hood had once again underestimated him. The fierce bond of brotherhood ran through him, an overwhelming urge to protect his big brothers helping clear his head slightly.

"I am in charge. There is nothing you can do to stop that."

"_Oh really?"_

Gordon simply gritted his teeth as the marks on his wrist began to spread up his arm, burning as they went. When it was apparent that was not going to make him back down in the slightest, the same thing started to happen to not only his other arm, but his legs as well. Still, Gordon just clenched his jaw and stared out to sea, letting the ocean give him something to focus on. If the Hood thought sheer pain would make him back down, then he had another thing coming. One did not survive a hydrofoil crash and then work in International Rescue without becoming used to a few aches and pains. Even as the sensation spread up his neck and Gordon found himself automatically trying to twist away from it, he still would not move from the beach.

Eventually, the Hood gave up. Every part of his host's body should be paining him, and yet Gordon was not moving. It was clear he was going to have to find another way to make the stubborn young man move. Gordon didn't like the feelings he was sensing from the man. Although the aquanaut had just resisted every effort the Hood had made to try and get him to move, there was almost a smug feeling coming from him. Gordon was still standing where he had been, never having quite got as far as sitting down, but neither had he moved back towards the house. As the pain backed away, his head dropped onto his chest, and he panted quietly, grateful that the Hood hadn't managed to get what he wanted.

"_So you are strong of body, I should have guessed as much. But you are still weak of mind."_

Gordon just inwardly rolled his eyes, wondering what the maniac was planning next. It wasn't as if there was anything he could do to stop it, no matter what happened. But he had to admit, he was expecting more taunts about not being able to stop the man, about what they had done to Scott. He had even half expected more pain.

What he didn't expect was for an almost peaceful feeling to take over his mind. He could see a small shack on a sandy beach, clear blue skies and a sparkling ocean. Despite the tranquillity of the place, Gordon felt his breath catch in horror.

"No!"

"_Yes. I know where they are. Your precious younger brother and my niece."_

Gordon shook himself furiously, almost as if that would dislodge the Hood from his mind. The only thing he got in return was hearing Alan's laugh, swiftly followed by Tin-Tin's.

"_So happy. So young and innocent. Tell me, Gordon, do you really think I only had people working for me where we caught you? I have people all over the world. They could do anything, all I have to do is give the signal. He won't even be able to come home, Gordon. My men have no desire to let him out of their sight. You warn him, or he tries to leave, and..."_ The image in his mind faded and Gordon felt tears sting the corners of his eyes. The beach was still there, only now billowing great plumes of smoke, the cottage he had seen before engulfed in flames. Instead of Alan's laugh, Gordon could hear his little brother yelling out in fear and pain.

"Stop it!"

"_Go back to the house."_

"No." Gordon had never felt so torn. Staying out here could be putting Alan at risk; there was no way he would be able to warn either that brother or the others in time to be able to do anything to help him, especially considering he didn't know how the Hood was planning to signal his men. If they were even there, that was. But if he did go back into the house, he was automatically putting the rest of the family into danger, especially Scott. Gordon could sense enough of the Hood's aims, and knew that he truly had meant his promise to Gordon's big brother. Considering the state of his brother the last time Gordon had seen him, the younger brother knew the elder would not be able to put up the same fight as before. Scott was all but defenceless, and whilst he trusted John and Virgil out on a rescue, they had never been as much of a match for him on a good day, let alone like this.

"_No?"_ The Hood's voice was mocking, and he forced the image of the ruined beach onto Gordon once more, clearly being able to sense his reluctance. It was an easy game, to trap him between his fear for his one younger brother and the concern over his three elder ones. "_You know the others might be able to fight back. If they get hurt, it will be because they got in my way. Stay out here, and I'll make sure that little brother of yours gets hurt just to show you what happens when you resist."_

"Is that what Scott did?" Gordon growled, hands clenched into tight fists by his side as he stared at the sand, trying to work out what to do whilst attempting to ignore the suffocating feeling of having someone else in his head. "Get in your way?"

"_He's been in my way for too long, he's the exception to the rule. But John is a smart one, and no doubt Virgil has a sensible head on his shoulders. If they don't interfere, they won't get hurt. Go back in, and keep three out of the four of your brothers safe."_

"And give up Scott?"

"_It's him or all of them, Gordon. Make your choice." _The burning sensation was back and Gordon knew that he had to run out of time. Feeling like he was betraying Scott, Gordon slowly began walking back to the house, each step weighing him down.

Even with purposefully trying to make the walk last as long as he possibly could, it still seemed far too quick for Gordon's liking, until he was staring at the door. Plucking up the strength to open it, knowing the potential consequences regardless of whether he did or didn't, the prankster froze. The house seemed quiet, but Gordon knew full well where everyone was going to be. Considering the state he had left Scott in, there was no way Virgil would allow their older brother out of the infirmary. He was sure that was where everyone else was also going to be, and just found himself grateful that they were all together. Maybe the Hood was right, Virgil and John could possibly have a chance of fighting back. But Gordon knew that would only be possible if they were together, for if he could be used to take Scott down, what chance did they have? Virgil was good, there could be no denying that. But spending most of his time up on Five, whilst John may have had the same training as the rest of them, most of his was done through training scenarios and simulations, not the real thing. But with the pair of them together, and no doubt their father and Kyrano in there as well, not to mention Brains... even the Hood would have to admit the odds were not in his favour.

Taking a small step into the house, Gordon growled as the Hood tried to force him into moving further by flaring up the burn again. Regardless of how uncomfortable it had made him feel skulking around the silos without quite knowing what he was doing down there, Gordon could only hope the man wanted to go back down there now. It was far enough away from the infirmary that the rest of them wouldn't even realise that he was back in the house, and therefore they would be more likely to stay away, and stay safe.

"_Don't get your hopes up too much," _the Hood snarled, and Gordon could have cried out loud with frustration at the fact that the maniac seemed to want him to head towards the infirmary. Gordon had no idea what he was planning, or why he would even try and put himself in a room of people who wanted him gone from the island, if not dead.

_"_What do you want with us?" Gordon refused to move this time, determined to get some answers. The Hood had genuinely seemed prepared to leave Virgil and John out of it if Gordon returned to the house as he'd asked. And his comments about Alan were clearly a precaution, his way of making sure Gordon did what he was told. But now the rest of the family would all be in one room, the man had the run of the island. Up until now, Gordon had just assumed that he had wanted to get his hands on some of their technology; his night time visits to the silos seem to indicate that. So why on earth did he want to go into the one room that could see his defeat?

"_You are right, I do want your technology."_

Gordon inwardly groaned at the fact that the man had heard that particular thought. "_But do you think they are about to let what you did go? I know enough about you Tracys to know you do not hurt one and expect the others to let you walk around. We are simply going to deliver a message, that is all."_

He didn't want to do it, but Gordon found that he had no choice but to trust the Hood on that one. If he resisted, he knew whatever happened to his brothers next would be his fault for not doing what he was told. And it would be four against one, not to mention that the Hood would be forced to battle inwardly as well to keep Gordon down. He just had to trust his family to know what to do, and so began putting one foot in front of the other. Never had a walk seemed so long, nor Gordon so afraid of what was going to happen when he reached his destination. His body was screaming at him, hurting in places Gordon didn't even know could hurt. Not only from the Hood's latest attempt to force him to move, but through sheer lack of sleep, exhaustion tugging at him. It was as if the Hood was keeping him moving, and Gordon couldn't help but think of how much their plan had backfired. He was supposed to be the one in control, the Hood struggling to even stay in his mind. But instead, it was Gordon struggling to hold on, feeling like he was losing with each step he took towards the infirmary. This was his mind, his body, his family and his home. So why did it feel like his enemy was the one holding all the cards?

Gordon managed to stop himself outside the door, one last attempt to make the Hood change his mind about where they were going. His inward curses and pleas alike fell on deaf ears and the man simply forced his hand up towards the door. It was already open a crack, and Gordon could make out voices within. His father's and Virgil's he could hear clearly, the passion in both of their tones showing that they were clearly arguing over something. Gordon had a very good idea of what. Now and again, John's quiet, far more controlled voice cut through, calming the other two for a brief moment. But what was making Gordon's heart pound uncomfortably fast was that he couldn't hear Scott. It wasn't normally Jeff and Virgil arguing when something was wrong. It was either Scott and Virgil, or Scott against their father, John being the calming voice as always. Why wasn't Scott arguing back? Why wasn't he doing anything? Once more, Gordon's head filled with thoughts of the last time he had seen his brother and the redhead bit his lip. Scott would be fine. This was Scott, he was always fine. He _had_ to be.

"_I told you they wouldn't let what you had done go."_

"I didn't do anything!" Gordon growled, telling himself that more than the Hood. He knew what the man was doing, trying to make the guilt consume him so that he stopped fighting back. Gordon knew the guilt would come – but later, when he could no longer hurt anyone.

"_Just go through the door." _The Hood's last words were accompanied by a fierce burning sensation all over, and Gordon didn't have time to even think of resisting before the door opened. He wasn't even sure whether it had been his doing or the maniac's, but simply blinked as several heads turned to face him.

"Gordon?" John's voice was quiet and soft, but it didn't escape Gordon's notice how both he and their father stood up. Moving as one, they stepped in front of the bed, shielding the occupant from Gordon's gaze. They were too late to hide it though, for Gordon had seen how motionless Scott was. A tear-filled gaze moved slowly from the bed back onto the rest of the family and Gordon almost took a step back. He could see the look on Virgil's face, and suddenly wasn't sure if they were trying to stop him seeing the damage he had inflicted on his brother, or protect said brother from him.

"_All your fault."_

"No..." Backing away, Gordon shook his head furiously. The Hood was a strong presence in his mind and the aquanaut knew the only reason why he still had any sort of control was that the man wanted him to see the looks of fear and anger on the rest of the family's faces. He wanted this to hurt, and he was getting his wish. Once again, the creep made Gordon's legs lock, refusing to allow him to leave the room. Crying out in frustration, pain and sheer exhaustion, Gordon swayed where he stood.

"Gordon!" John was moving forward now, concern etched into every inch of his face. This time, the Hood did allow him some movement and Gordon stumbled away, accidentally cornering himself as he shook his head at John, desperately trying to tell his brother to keep away from him. As he moved, his eyes fell on Scott, motionless and unconscious, the bruising coming out and making Gordon's insides twist unpleasantly.

"_Now isn't this fun?"_

"No...stop..."

"Okay, okay, it's alright..." John stopped, not realising that his brother wasn't addressing him. Virgil had moved forward, coming to stand next to their older sibling whilst Jeff stayed by the bed, clearly intending to protect his suddenly vulnerable eldest son with everything he had if it came to it. Gordon dropped his gaze, unable to look at his father. He knew this reaction was what the Hood wanted, but he was just so tired, so worn out from fighting the whole time whilst they all just sat there and muttered encouraging nonsense that did absolutely nothing to help.

"Gords, is that you?" Virgil's voice was soft and hesitating, the artist clearly not sure whether this was yet another trick to get them to come closer, or whether Gordon's anguish was real. The redhead himself wasn't sure, so simply shook his head, pressing himself into the corner as if he could just vanish into the wall.

"_Say goodnight."_

Gordon's eyes widened in panic and he forced himself upright, intending to get out of the room whilst he still could. He knew what the Hood was going to do, and he knew that there would be no stopping the man from taking control this time. He simply had too much of a hold right now, and Gordon didn't have the energy left to hold him back. The besthe could do was try and get out of the room before he resurfaced.

"Gordon?" John had seen the look on his brother's face, taking a step forward even as Gordon's hands flew to his head in a wordless cry and his eyes flashed yellow. Virgil reached out a hand, clearly intending to pull John back again, but the Hood beat him to it. With just a mere flash of his eyes, John went shooting backwards, falling over the very chair he had been sitting on and landing in a sprawled heap on the floor. Virgil immediately dropped to his brother's side, their father taking a step forward so that he was in front of all three of his sons.

"Leave my boy alone," he growled, his voice threatening, dark and dangerous. He didn't notice Virgil helping a stunned John sit up, both of them flinching at the icy tone their father had just delivered.

"_And why would I want to do that? I'm having so much fun. But don't worry, those two aren't the problem here. This is just a lesson to show your son what happens when he disobeys me. I thought you would have instilled more discipline into your little clones."_

"Let him go!" Whilst still sounding threatening, no one could deny the genuine fright in Jeff's voice now. Unfortunately, even the Hood noticed it.

"_Is the great Jeff Tracy scared of his own son?"_

"I won't ask again," Jeff snarled, taking a step forward as he tried to keep the Hood cornered in order to stop him from going after any of the boys. He may have just said that John and Virgil weren't the problem, but the father knew full well his boys weren't going to just sit back and let this happen. And the Hood was not going to let them interfere either. Nor had it escaped his attention that the man hadn't included Scott in that assessment, and unconscious, there would be absolutely nothing the eldest brother would be able to do to protect himself. So instead, the father was stepping into a role he hadn't had to take on properly since Scott was about fifteen.

Moving forward again, he gestured with his hand behind his back to Virgil. The artist's eyes widened, but he shifted himself across the floor, reaching for the sedatives that his father wanted. He knew Jeff didn't know if it would work or just take out Gordon, but if they could restrict the Hood's power over their tormented family member, it would be a step in the right direction. Keeping him awake clearly hadn't worked, so what if they tried the opposite approach?

"_No. You won't."_

"Dad!" John's yell did nothing to express the horror he was feeling as their father was slammed against the opposite wall, his head colliding with a sickening thud and the man immediately sliding down, as motionless as his eldest son. Virgil stopped what he was doing and immediately jumped to his feet, making to run straight to his father.

"_I wouldn't move if I were you." _

John caught his little brother around the wrist, holding him still in order to not give the Hood the excuse to hurt him. It was down to him to protect them now, and very slowly, the astronaut got to his feet, posture tense and his blue eyes like ice.

Unlike his father, he didn't say anything to the Hood, didn't try and address the man, but instead kept a firm grip around Virgil's wrist, keeping his brother still as he simply glared.

"_Now, much better..."_ the Hood continued conversationally, not noticing the way John's free hand was busy pressing buttons on his watch. The Tracys might not be able to stop the Hood, but there was possibly someone else on the island who could. "_Over there."_

Gordon's head motioned to the opposite corner, away from both the vulnerable Tracys, and John knew they had no choice but to obey. He could feel Virgil tensing under his grip, knew that the younger man was preparing to fight back, but John simply pulled him over.

"I can't do this on my own," he muttered out of the corner of his mouth, and Virgil relaxed slightly. John knew his younger brother knew what he meant. If Virgil fought back, he would lose, just like the rest of them had. But if the two of them could work together, then perhaps they would stand more of a chance?

"_No, you really can't." _

There was still something unnervingly conversational about the Hood's voice, and John settled for just glaring at him. But his initial plan to not address the maniac directly was lost as the man reached into Gordon's pocket. A frown settled on John's face and he could almost see that Virgil had the same expression. What they didn't realise was that their brother was also frowning, wondering what the hell the Hood was doing from somewhere deep within his own mind. What happened next, however, none of them were expecting.

A gleaming knife appeared in the man's hand. Virgil gasped in horror and John had to once again physically stop his younger brother from rushing Gordon. In his own head, Gordon's mind was going into overdrive about what was happening, wondering how the hell he had been wandering around with a knife in his pocket and had not even noticed. He could feel the satisfaction coming from the Hood and knew the creep was getting the reaction that he wanted.

"Just put it down," John said quietly, eyes bouncing around the room. Both his father and Scott were motionless on the other side of the room. Could he get to them both in time in order to protect them? But would that leave Virgil open and vulnerable if he moved? More than ever, John wished Scott was awake for this, certain that his big brother would know what to do without getting anyone hurt.

"_Now why would I want to do that? Oh don't worry, I'm not going after _them_." _The Hood had clearly seen where John was looking and his hand began to rise, making the two remaining brothers both flinch. "_I have someone a lot closer to hand."_

"No!" Virgil couldn't hold it back this time as the Hood placed the tip of the knife under Gordon's chin. It showed how much of a hold the man had over their brother considering Gordon's body didn't even flinch.

"_This is what will happen if you continue to deny me what I want. You may all protect each other, how very noble. But who will protect him? I can make him do whatever I want, and there is nothing that you can do stop me."_

"Let him go!" Virgil begged, fighting against John's grip on his wrist and trying to get to Gordon.

"_Not this time. You will grant me complete and utter access to everywhere on this pathetic island, and will stay in here whilst I carry out my research. If not, I kill him..." _The point of the knife dug in deeper and a small trickle of blood appeared in the corner of Gordon's neck. Virgil looked horrified, but John looked strangely calm, even smiling slightly.

"No, you won't."

"John?" Virgil's voice came out as nothing more than a whisper as the point of the knife dug in even further.

"_Don't test me."_

"Oh, I'm not saying that you _won't_ do it. I'm saying that you _can't_," John responded, his eyes blazing as he stepped forward, his body language screaming defiance in such a strong manner that Virgil almost blinked, wondering for a split second whether it was just Gordon who had been possessed. "The human body's instinct is for survival, even you can't overcome that. So you may have his mind now, but do something like that, and you've just earned yourself a one way ticket out of here. Gordon won't let it happen. And this time, it won't be something you can force him to submit to. He won't even know he is doing it, but will fight for survival."

"_Are you testing me?" _The Hood forced Gordon into stepping forward, the knife still drawing blood on his neck. John let his eyes roam over his brother, doing a quick assessment. When he saw Gordon's hand shaking slightly, he smiled, knowing his argument was already coming true.

"Yes, you could say that I am."

"_That was a mistake, boy."_

"Maybe." John's eyes slid past Gordon and his smile became one of relief as the door swished almost silently open and Kyrano stepped into the room, not making a sound. If Virgil thought John's body language was angry, it was nothing like Kyrano's. The man was radiating fury, moving silently as he came around behind Gordon.

"Or maybe not."

The Hood snarled, but he either couldn't or wouldn't make the knife go in any deeper. As if realising this, he instead moved it away from Gordon's neck and levelled it at John, clearly readying himself to throw. John just lifted his chin, glaring at the man daringly even as his body tensed, preparing to react. Reaching behind him with one hand, he grabbed Virgil and forcibly pushed down, making the younger man drop to the floor. Virgil was either too stunned to react, or trusted that John knew what he was doing and went down without protest.

They were just in time. As soon as he felt Virgil hit the floor, John caught Kyrano's eye, the slight nod the man gave him indicating that he knew what John wanted him to do and was ready for it. Turning his attention back to the Hood, John smirked.

"Either way, you're too weak to win." He heard Virgil's gasp, knowing that his brother was clearly wondering what he was doing, deliberately goading the man. The Hood let out a snarl of fury, raising Gordon's arm and throwing the knife with unnerving precision. If John hadn't been ready for it, he would have been killed instantly, but instead he just threw himself to one side, letting it hit the wall behind him with a thud, quivering harmlessly.

By the time he looked up again, Kyrano had moved. The growl emitted from Gordon showed the Hood realised who was behind him, and everything in the room seemed to shake as he unleashed his power.

"Stay down!" John hissed at Virgil, his hand finding the back of his brother's neck to keep him on the floor. The pair of them could do nothing as Kyrano stepped behind their brother and his half-brother, hands coming to rest on Gordon's neck. Something was being said between the two of them, but the two Tracys couldn't hear it. They could only watch as a brief struggle ensued, resulting in Kyrano finding the pressure points on Gordon's neck and pressing down. It was obvious even from the distance they were at that the battle was still going on within Gordon as his eyes flickered rapidly between different colours, a battle for dominance taking place under the surface as Kyrano slowly weakened his body.

Gordon's knees gave way. But Kyrano didn't let go, instead following him down to the floor and continuing to put pressure on the young man. Eventually, Gordon's eyes snapped up to meet John's, and the older brother breathed a long sigh of relief when he saw that it was indeed his younger sibling looking back at him. Then Kyrano pressed down again and Gordon collapsed into a crumpled heap, not even the Hood moving him this time.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you so much once again for the amazing support, it really means the world!**

"... sure that this will..?"

"No, but don't see what else..."

"Scott, don't move..."

"Wait! I think he might be waking up!"

The voices cut through Gordon's foggy subconscious, causing him to let out a long groan as he slowly became more and more aware of his surroundings. Every single inch of him hurt, feeling like hot irons were stabbing him in various places and causing another moan to slip past his lips. Gordon shifted, trying to relieve the sensation, and his breath hitched in panic. He couldn't move!

"Gordon? Gordon, listen to me. I need you to calm down, son, everything is okay. Listen to my voice, Gordon, let me explain."

He could hear his father, but it was as if it was muffled or that he was listening to the man underwater. He could hear the voice, but the words weren't making sense, weren't registering past the panic that he could feel building. Gordon twisted his arms, feeling cuffs around his wrists restricting the action, and then realised in panic that his legs were being held the same way. Immediately, he was taken back to when this had all started, being pinned down whilst the Hood approached him.

"Gordon! Stop panicking, everything is okay."

"Dad, don't really think you're helping."

That was Virgil's voice this time, and Gordon was vaguely aware of the bed dipping under someone else's weight. Bed? Right, infirmary, it had to be. Where else would they be able to strap someone down? But even with that small piece of knowledge wedging itself in his mind, Gordon was not able to calm down, twisting his arms in a desperate attempt to get out, small cries of pain coming from him as he did so.

"Shh..." There was a hand brushing back his hair, a thumb wiping away the tears that Gordon didn't even know were leaking from the corners of his eyes. The touch did something that the words did not, and eventually, Gordon opened his eyes. Virgil was sitting next to him, smiling softly down when he realised that his brother was looking back at him. Gordon tried to say something, tried to demand an explanation of what on earth was going on, but nothing came out other than a croak.

"Hang on a sec..." Virgil turned away and fiddled with something on the bed, allowing Gordon to sit up properly. The artist disappeared for a second, but when he was back, there was a plastic cup in his hand. He offered the straw to Gordon, and despite the humiliationof it, the redhead drank eagerly, relishing the feeling of the cool water rushing down his throat. It seemed like an age since he had last had anything to drink.

"Wha's happenin'?" he managed to croak, looking down at himself as he did so. His suspicions were confirmed when he caught sight of the strong leather restraints wrapped around his wrists and cuffing him to the bed. A wriggle of his legs had him pretty certain they had been subjected to the same treatment.

"What do you remember, son?" Jeff came to sit on Gordon's other side, pulling around a chair as he did so. Gordon frowned at him, trying to piece together what had happened. He wasn't sure, there was so much fogginess clouding his mind, something that he knew was from when the Hood was in control. What had happened in that time frame?

"I was in here..." he began slowly, frowning down at the bed as he tried to grab hold of the pieces and fit them together. Gordon had never liked doing puzzles, that was always John's idea of fun. So doing one with his own mind was definitely not something he wanted to be repeating any time soon. Jeff nodded encouragingly, not yet even sure what time Gordon was referring to, but not wanting to rush his son.

"And so was Virgil..." That still didn't clear up anything. "I think I snapped at him I was just so tired. Then... Scott!" Now the rest of the family knew precisely where Gordon was up to in his memories. The redhead jerked wildly, the cuffs doing their job and keeping him down, but causing Gordon to twist frantically. Why was it Virgil calming him down? That was never left to the artist, someone else always got there first. "Where's Scott? What did I do?"

"Gordon, calm..." Jeff didn't even get to finish the end of his sentence before he realised that it was doing nothing. Gordon was panicking, parts of the memories crashing back down on him: Scott lying motionless on the floor, the Hood goading him... Then he had been at the beach, yet the presence in his mind had wanted him to return to the house. Gordon had resisted, he knew he had, so how... Alan!

"Alan!"

"Alan?" John's voice came floating from the other side of the infirmary, and Virgil twisted on the bed to share a quizzical look with his two big brothers. Scott was awake and sitting up, although judging by the way John was perched on the edge of the bed and had his hand on his big brother's shoulder, he was having to act as a preventative to stop Scott getting out of bed.

"Virgil, move over."

Hearing the tone in his father's voice, Virgil slipped off the bed and automatically found himself sidling over to the two older ones. Jeff took his previous position, cupping Gordon's face in his hands and forcing his son to look at him.

"Listen to me." Unlike before, Jeff's voice seemed to get through to Gordon this time, and after sucking in a few erratic breaths, the son managed to look the father in the eye.

"Scott is just over there. He is hurt, I won't deny that..." Jeff ignored the noise of protest that came from said son, not to mention the way he could see John tensing out of the corner of his eye, clearly having to keep Scott down. "But he is fine."

The father paused for a long moment, letting his words sink into Gordon. Eventually, he saw the way his son's eyes flickered to the side and dropped his hands, letting Gordon look over to Scott. Seeing his three other brothers all sitting there watching him caused Gordon to finally let out a long breath, beginning to relax.

Jeff exchanged worried glances with John. "But what did you mean by Alan? Alan isn't here, he is safe from all of this."

"He's not," Gordon whispered, his voice cracking halfway. This time, he was sure it was nothing to do with the physical pain or the misuse it had had over the last few... however long it had been. It was the knowledge that the Hood had all the information he needed about them to destroy the whole family.

"Gordon?" There was a warning note in Jeff's voice now, and Gordon knew that his father was trying to work out what was going on. He needed his son to give him answers, some clue as to what was happening. "What do you mean, Alan is not safe?"

Gordon could see John beginning to stand up out of the corner of his eye, Virgil automatically moving in to take up his position in order to keep Scott down. But the redhead zoned his brothers out, eyes locked firmly on his father's face.

"He knows where he is," he whispered, remembering all too well the feeling of satisfaction coming from the maniac when he played his cards, showing Gordon that he had to do what he said or it was a risk to them all. "He has men around. I don't know how... he said he could make things happen... That they wouldn't let Alan come home, they'd kill him first..."

"What things could he make happen?" There was a forced calm in Jeff's voice now, but at a hand signal, John left. Gordon knew with nothing being said that the older blond brother was going to check on the younger. Gordon was sure that Alan was fine, though, he could just sense that the Hood had been using him as a threat. Gordon was in no doubt that he would carry out that threat if it meant getting what he wanted considering what had happened to Scott, but if he had already done something, he would have nothing left to threaten Gordon with.

"He was going to destroy everything if I didn't move back inside. It was come inside, hope Virg and John stayed out of the way or could at least fight back. Or lose Alan."

A heavy silence fell throughout the infirmary. To his shame, Gordon found that his eyes were filling with tears again, wanting to be able to fight the Hood off better, wanting to be able to protect his family the way they had always done for him. But with his hands strapped to the bed, he could do nothing to wipe them away again. He could hear Scott clearly attempting to get out of bed on the other side of the room, and just as clearly could hear Virgil trying to keep him down. But at the same time, it was like it was muffled, like nothing mattered apart from the look on his father's face. Gordon wasn't sure what he was expecting to see – disappointment? Anger, perhaps, that Gordon had had no choice but to do as the Hood said? What he certainly wasn't expecting was the soft, reassuring smile as the man leant forward, echoing Virgil's earlier actions by brushing the tears away. He didn't say a word, but let his hand come to rest on Gordon's shoulder, a comforting, grounding weight that immediately helped Gordon anchor himself.

"I'm sorry," the redhead whispered, once more studying the white sheet rather than look at the rest of them. He was sure they would have been able to do something in order to fight the man off; they wouldn't have been practically blackmailed into doing what he said. Maybe the man had been right, maybe he was the weakest out of all of them and that was why the Hood seemed to be winning right now. Deep inside him, Gordon could almost feel the creep stirring in satisfaction at the way his thoughts were going, but rather than realising he was just thinking what the Hood wanted him to, Gordon instead picked glumly at a stray thread.

"Gordon?" Jeff's voice was soft and caring, and when his son didn't look up, he reached forward a hand and cupped Gordon's chin until the man did look at him. "You're stronger than he is..."

Gordon shook his head before the man could continue, the tears once more back in his eyes. They were wrong, they were all wrong about him. He wasn't strong – the Hood could have so easily killed Scott and Gordon had done nothing to stop it until the very end. There was nothing about him that could offer the Hood a fight...

"M'not..."

"Gordon, listen to me." Despite his concern, Jeff's voice took on a firmer note. He could see in Gordon's eyes what he was thinking. His troublesome redhead had always been the most expressive of his sons, all you had to do was glance at his face and you could read him like an open book. Sitting this close to him and staring straight into his eyes was like Gordon's very thoughts being projected into Jeff's head. He could sense the self-doubt, the belief that the others would have done better. But he could also still hear Kyrano's voice ringing in his ears whilst they had secured Gordon. No one could fight this – even Kyrano, who knew how the Hood was doing this, would have no chance against something that strong. Gordon had put up far more of a fight than he had realised, but if he was doubting that, beginning to give up, then it would have all been for nothing.

"You did stop yourself. I know what happened in the silos, son. You could have killed them both down there, but you didn't. The others told me what happened up here. The Hood could have killed Scott, but you stopped him. You're stronger than you think..."

Gordon swallowed hard, his breath hitching a little as he tried to hold back the tears. He was just so tired, tired of fighting, tired of having to be the strong one. All he wanted to do was give into it and sleep, hoping that it would all go away when he woke up again and this would be some crazy nightmare. But as his exhausted mind began to slowly give in, another presence began to slowly seep to the surface, ready to take its place in the void.

"... you can do this, you can fight him off. Listen to me, you _can_ do this, I promise you. We all believe in you..."

"_Shame he doesn't believe in himself."_

Jeff gasped, scrambling backwards off the bed as he did so in order to put some distance between him and his son. It wasn't anything to do with not trusting Gordon, but the sight of Scott sprawled across the floor unconscious was not going to leave his mind any time soon. His eyes flicked across the infirmary and immediately caught Virgil's look. The young man nodded, heaviness in the set of his shoulders as he moved behind them. There was a reason why John had gone to check on Alan, Virgil was potentially needed.

"Why are you doing this?" Keeping the Hood's attention focused on him, Jeff frowned. Every time he had seen the Hood emerge before, Gordon's eyes had changed. This time, it seemed the redhead was clearly proving what they had been telling him. The Hood had enough power to use Gordon's voice, but the burning gaze lined with concentration was Gordon's. His hands were screwed into fists under the leather straps and every breath was controlled. He wasn't letting the man through, despite clearly wanting it to just all be over. It worked in their advantage more than Gordon could have possibly realised though. What with talking to Jeff and having to battle to even be there, the Hood had no idea what Virgil was doing.

"_Because I can."_

"Leave Gordon alone." If he was completely honest, Jeff wasn't truly paying that much attention to the Hood. His eyes were fixed on Virgil, watching as his son drew out a measure of a solution and began slowly approaching the bed from behind.

"_Why would I want to do that? And why would you want to do this? Not very nice for your son, is it?"_

"Virgil!" Jeff barely had time to gasp a warning before the yellow once more dominated Gordon's eyes. Jeff could have kicked himself for being lulled into a false sense of security. The Hood had known _all_ along what they were doing, and had just been allowing them to relax before striking. Virgil gasped, the syringe torn from his hand.

"Dad!" His yell was barely needed as Jeff threw himself off the bed just in time. The needle came flying over his head before clattering harmlessly to the floor now that it had missed its target. It rolled back under the bed, the momentum carrying it out the other side and back towards Scott. Jeff wasn't sure if it was the Hood was making it move, or just their bad luck. Virgil lunged forward, only to be sent flying as the Hood once more flashed his eyes, causing him to go crashing into the wall opposite.

"Virgil, stay down!" Jeff shouted, crawling across the floor to where the needle was. If the Hood was fighting back, it meant that what they were doing was proving to be something of a threat. At least, Jeff was hoping so, he needed to hold onto some positive thinking.

"_That's not going to stop me." _the Hood practically snarled, and Jeff moved just in time to duck a metal bowl as it came flying

across the infirmary.

"Virg!" Jeff's head jerked up in horror at Scott's shout, and he realised the bowl had just been a distraction to stop him reaching his son. Virgil's eyes widened in horror, but he didn't have time to move before one of the cabinets came flying across the room.

"No!" How he managed it, Jeff had no idea, but he managed to half throw himself into the path of the rushing furniture. It collided with his hip, sending him spinning away in the opposite direction and landing with a curse back where he started, nursing a throbbing leg. But it had taken the force out of the still-travelling cabinet. The Hood may have forced it back onto its original collision course, but even he couldn't make it pick up its initial speed. Virgil had managed to climb to his feet and even almost move completely out of the way when the cabinet hit.

His cry of pain had Jeff jumping to his feet, any potential missiles ignored as he raced to his son's side. Virgil had his teeth gritted, his left ankle trapped between the cabinet and the wall.

"Virg?"

"Move it!" he practically yelled, his breathing coming in short, pained gasps as he strained against the metal, clearly trying to push it away from him. Jeff immediately grabbed hold, anchoring himself and pulling as hard as he could. Luckily, it was reasonably easy to move and fell away with a crash, causing Virgil to sink down the wall, face pale and clutching his ankle. Jeff rested one hand on the wall so that he could take the weight of his own leg and watched as Virgil slowly began feeling around the already swelling limb, teeth gritted.

"DAD!"

Scott's shout made Jeff whip around, and he felt the roof of his mouth go dry. All the instruments in the room were beginning to shake violently, trembling as they slowly lifted into the air. One glance at Virgil, and Jeff knew they would never be able to move in time. Not that that was going to stop him trying, however, reaching down and grabbing Virgil's upper arm in an attempt to drag the man back to his feet.

"_You know you aren't going to be quick enough."_ There was a gloating tone in the Hood's voice, and Jeff refused to think about how he was using Gordon to utter such hate-filled words. He had to get Virgil out of the way somehow, or at least get himself in front of his son. But Virgil had as strong a grip on his father as Jeff had on him, clearly trying to stop him doing what he was planning. Father and son stayed locked together as a few implements began to slowly rotate in the air, Virgil swallowing audibly next to him.

"Leave my boys out of this!" Jeff yelled, moving his gaze from the instruments back to the Hood. "Kill me if you must, but you let them go!" He ignored Virgil's shout of protest, still trying to force the young man behind him as he took an unsteady step forward, focused only on the Hood.

"Dad..." It was nothing more than a whisper that had Jeff turning back to Virgil, and following his son's gaze, he swallowed hard. The things were moving, scalpels and surgical equipment that Jeff knew would be able to kill them if they picked up enough speed and struck in the right place. Considering how much the Hood seemed to want them dead, the father knew they weren't going to stand a chance. Virgil tried to force his way forward, but Jeff managed to stay in front. He didn't even seem to feel his son's struggles to get past him.

Jeff grimaced, glancing away as he watched everything start to fly across the room towards him. He turned, making sure that he was shielding Virgil, and smiled reassuringly at his son. Virgil's eyes were wide and horrified, but Jeff had managed to pin him against the wall, not giving him a choice now that he was finally in a reasonably safe position. He watched the horror take over Virgil's expression, before the young man's face suddenly changed, confusion seeping into the look instead. Jeff didn't have time to question it though, he could almost hear the weapons flying across the room behind him and knew that they were almost about to hit.

Bracing himself, the father certainly didn't expect to hear a loud clatter. For a long moment, there was only the sound of everything that had been floating hitting the floor. Jeff slowly turned. One of the scalpels was on the floor directly behind him, a few more seconds and it would have hit.

"Scott?" Virgil's hoarse voice had Jeff looking towards where his eldest son had previously been lying. Needless to say, the bed was empty. Jeff pushed himself away from the wall, making sure Virgil was alright as his gaze flickering back to Gordon. In a way, he knew what he was about to see. He had known ever since he had heard the first thing drop to the floor, but he still had to swallow hard. Scott was half on Gordon's bed, half still managing to stand up, the needle in his hand plunged into Gordon's arm.

The effect had been almost instantaneous, the Hood losing control over his powers the second the drug had hit him. Even as Scott finally pulled the needle back out again and slumped to the floor, one hand resting against his ribs and his face ashen, the yellow faded from Gordon's eyes and he blinked at them for a long second.

"Sorry..." It may have come out as a whisper, but everyone heard it. Jeff limped across the infirmary, vaguely aware of Virgil doing the same. Whilst his son pulled his brother off the bed and began to steer Scott back towards his own bed, Jeff sat down heavily on Gordon's. Leaning forward, he could already see the drug taking effect as Gordon's eyes flickered.

"Dad..."

"Shh, son. Everything's okay. Give into it, Gords, we'll be right here when you wake up again." Leaning forward, Jeff gently brushed his hand through Gordon's hair. It was an action that was familiar to the two of them, the way Jeff had always been able to get Gordon to relax when that was the only part of his body that wasn't covered in bandages. Sure enough, Gordon's eyes flickered again, but Jeff saw his arm twist out of the corner of his eye. Glancing down, he saw Gordon's hand had moved, and smiling softly, Jeff took hold of his son's hand.

"We'll be right here, just sleep..." he whispered, his voice soothing and soft.

"Sorry..."

"Shh..." Unable to fight off the drug, Gordon finally shut his eyes. It still took another moment before his body sagged completely and Jeff let out a shaky breath.

"Virg?"

"Coming." Jeff winced when he heard how pain-filled Virgil's voice was as he limped across the infirmary again, but the set to his son's jaw meant that he wouldn't stand for Brains being summoned to do something he was quite capable of doing himself. Resting one hand on the bed to keep himself upright, Virgil quickly set about taking readings from the machinery Gordon hadn't even noticed. Eventually, he sat down on the bed, eyes shutting briefly even as he nodded.

"He's under. Will be for at least four hours. When he wakes up though..."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Jeff said firmly, climbing to his feet and wincing as his hip throbbed in protest. Pulling the covers up around his now sleeping son fondly, Jeff leant over and kissed Gordon's forehead.

"Sleep, my little troublemaker," he whispered under his breath, Virgil glancing in the opposite direction in order to give his father a moment of privacy.

"I was only gone a moment!" John's voice cut through the tension in the room and Virgil let out a muffled snort of amusement even as he began to hobble back towards Scott. His older brother was sitting sideways on the bed, legs hanging off the side and clutching at his midriff, his movement clearly having caused him some trouble.

"Lie back," Virgil muttered, prodding his brother's shoulder, but Scott stubbornly shook his head.

"Check your ankle and Dad first, m'fine..."

The slur at the end of his brother's voice made Virgil roll his eyes, but ever the peacemaker, John stepped forward. He didn't need to ask what had happened. They had planned the sedative as an emergency, knowing how strong the drug was but hoping that it would be enough to take the Hood under as well as Gordon if needs must. Considering he could see the needle on the floor, Gordon asleep and the room in a chaotic mess with both his father and younger brother nursing injuries that hadn't been there when he left, John didn't need to be a genius to figure it out.

Crossing the room, he almost forcibly pushed Virgil into the chair he had been sitting in whilst Scott was still asleep. Keeping one hand on Virgil's shoulder to stop him from getting up, he used the other hand and a pointed look that even Scott couldn't ignore to make his older brother sit back as well. As soon as Scott had moved, John lifted Virgil's leg onto the bed, making sure it was elevated as he worked his brother's shoe off, gentle fingers feeling around the swelling.

"Not broken," he confirmed after a moment, causing Virgil to roll his eyes.

"I could have told you that."

"You could have. But you would have been too busy informing Scott that his ribs _were _broken to bother, so thought I would do it for you. Stay _there_." A forcible tone to his voice had Virgil doing as he was told as John crossed the room. A few moments later he was back again, arms full of bandages. Virgil looked like he was going to protest, a worried frown making its way onto his face as he tried to move away, but found himself subjected to the same look that had Scott still lying still, so let his brother strap the ankle up.

"Dad?" Scott hadn't been paying any attention to his two younger brothers even despite the fact that they were at his side. Instead, his gaze was focused across the room, looking at the defeated slump of his father's posture, almost being able to tell the expression on the man's face even with Jeff having his back to his other boys. John and Virgil immediately fell still at the quiet note in Scott's voice and they too looked over towards the man. John stood up, making as if to go over there, but Scott's hand closed around his wrist. When his younger brother glanced at him, the pilot shook his head ever so slightly. John didn't need to ask, but instead sat back down again, giving his father some space.

"What do we do now?" Jeff's voice was hollow and sounded so lost that Virgil and John exchanged looks, the former swallowing hard and causing the latter to squeeze his shoulder reassuringly. Scott, however, lifted his chin.

"We keep trying."

"How?" It was Virgil who spoke this time though, wincing as he jolted his leg slightly. Hearing his father sound so lost seemed to have driven something home in the young man – they didn't know how to get out of this. "Gordon fell asleep and he took over. We kept him awake and it nearly killed you. We tied him to the bed and it could have killed Dad."

"And you."

"And... not the point." Ignoring John's interruption, Virgil focused his gaze on Scott. "What do we do? Should a sedated sleep keep him down?"

"We keep trying. We've got four hours before we have to deal with anything, we have to hope this keeps him under. And who knows, the rest might allow Gordon to fight back again, the way he did at the beginning. "

"But..."

"Are you that prepared to give up on him?" Scott practically yelled, finally causing his father to look round. If he thought the man would look defeated, it was an understatement for the expression on his face. But Scott felt the flare of Tracy stubbornness and anger spring into life. "I swore to him after his hydrofoil accident, when he was lying there, broken, that he couldn't give up on himself because I was never going to give up on him. If you guys are prepared to do so, fine, but I will _not_ lose him." So saying, Scott began to swivel his legs towards the side of the bed again, determined to get to his brother. John, however, placed a hand on his shoulder after Jeff shot him a look.

"No one is giving up on him, Scotty," Jeff said softly, standing up and limping over to where his conscious sons sat. He rested one hand on the top of John's back, the other on Virgil's shoulder. Scott swallowed hard, but met Jeff's eyes, nodding softly.

"So what do we do next?"

"I have absolutely no idea," the father admitted, glancing back towards his motionless son. Virgil was right, everything they were trying was backfiring and just getting them hurt. But sensing Scott watching him, he forced a reassuring smile onto his face. His eldest son was not the only one to have promised to never give up on Gordon, and Jeff intended to make good on that promise, no matter what it took.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you so much once again!**

Even though several hours had passed, no one had moved from the infirmary. John had made another call to Alan after his younger brother kept trying to get in touch to find out what was going on at the island, Brains had flitted in, looked at their faces and gone again. Even Kyrano was keeping his distance.

No one knew what to do. Jeff was sitting on the edge of Gordon's bed, his hand resting lightly on his son's chest as if to reassure himself that the redhead was still breathing. Even though it wasn't directed at him, he could almost feel Scott's gaze from across the room, and knew that his eldest son was watching the aquanaut with the same intensity as his father. John and Virgil were sitting next to each other beside Scott's bed, Virgil's ankle across the end of the bed, since his older brother had insisted that Virgil kept it elevated. The look the medic had given his brother in response had been so scathing that Jeff might have found it funny if his mind hadn't been so preoccupied.

He knew he had failed the boys as a father after Lucy's death. He had distanced himself, buried himself away in his work so he didn't have to face the reminders each day that he was coming home to a house with no wife, no mother for his children. He couldn't face the cold, empty bed, nor the spare place now at the table. So he had pushed himself in a way he had never done before - and almost lost his boys because of it. But as he had returned to his place in their lives – although he wasn't naive enough to believe that the elder three needed him in the same way, not after he had forced them to cope without him – he had sworn that he would never let them down again.

Instead, he had striven to make International Rescue a reality, seeing the excitement light up their faces as if they were boys at Christmas again as they had thrown themselves into the process. He hadn't asked them to give up their lives, they had offered when they realised the difference their father was trying to make. He had been by their sides every step of the way, congratulating them on a rescue well done, helping soothe and nurse them when one of the boys had managed to get themselves injured. He had pushed them to do well, determined to turn them into respectable young men. What he hadn't expected was what he had got in return. He never would have thought that it would have been possible to be so proud of five individuals on a permanent basis in the way that he was, yet it was true. He couldn't take back what he had done to them as children, the impact of not only losing their mother, but practically their father at the same time, but he could try and make amends, make sure that he never failed them in that manner again.

But now, watching Gordon lying sedated on one of their own beds, Jeff felt like he had broken his promise. Even when the same son had lain in a hospital bed and Jeff had listened to the doctors' claim that if his son even lived, he would never walk again, Jeff had known he had to be strong for Gordon, give him a reason to fight. Lucy would have been able to stay strong for their son, she always made sure their children didn't see how she was feeling if she had to nurse them better. Jeff knew that he never managed to control his emotions in the same way that she had. If she were here, he had a feeling that none of this would have been happening, she would have made everything better just as she had always done when the boys were children. She would have been able to save Gordon…Now more than ever, Jeff wished the events of so long ago had turned out differently. He was here for Gordon, he would help him to fight just like before, yet it wasn't the same.

How could his son honestly fight when he didn't even have control of his own mind? The father couldn't help but feel the Hood had been playing with them. Every single time they thought they had done something in order to help, that they had given Gordon a fighting chance, something had happened to make them doubt that. He knew full well that it was only through the fact of there being so many of them to come and save the day that they were all still alive now.

"Dad?"

Scott's quiet voice cut across the infirmary and Jeff jumped. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed time slowly passing, and, looking over towards his oldest son, he smiled. John was staring out of the window, the vacant expression on his face showing that he too was thinking. His father could only hope that his son's thoughts were less troubling than his own, but considering he could see the way John's hand was screwed into a fist, he had a feeling they were just as bad. But it was Virgil who made him smile. He knew that his son's ankle was paining him and that, coupled with the sheer intensity of the emotions he had been through that day alone, meant his body had given into exhaustion. Jeff knew Virgil had been the one taking the watch first thing that morning, so had been up far earlier than he was used to. It was clearly showing now, for his head had fallen onto John's shoulder as he slept. In a way, Jeff was glad. It meant that John had no choice but to stay there. Jeff didn't want any of them off alone right now; he wanted his boys where he could see them.

"How you doing, Scotty?" Making sure his voice stayed soft and quiet, Jeff twisted slightly so that he could engage his son in conversation, but made sure that he left his hand resting on Gordon's chest. If anyone was to ask, he would have claimed it was so that he could feel the moment Gordon began to awaken, due to the change in his breathing pattern. If he was honest though, Jeff knew it was a way of reassuring himself, a habit he had picked up whilst waiting to see if Gordon was going to awaken from his coma after the hydrofoil accident. Why was he getting such a strong sense of déjà-vu?

Scott shifted, wincing as he did so, but before Jeff could stop him, he had swung his legs over the side of the bed. Reluctant to leave Gordon but knowing that he had to stop his son, Jeff half rose, but the look on Scott's face had him sitting back down again, more memories flickering to the front of his mind. He hadn't been the only one to refuse to leave Gordon's side during that time in the hospital, and he knew that Scott needed to be at his brother's bedside almost as much as Jeff did. It proved how lost in thought John was for he barely even blinked at his brother's movement, glancing fondly at Virgil before returning his gaze to the window.

Part of Jeff knew that he should get up in order to assist Scott considering he clearly wasn't going to back down on this. But he found that he couldn't move, watching his eldest son struggle across the room and sink into the seat next to Gordon's bed with a groan, his face going deathly pale as he did so. Seeing Scott looking so vulnerable was a sharp reminder of just how wrong things were going for the family. Normally, even if he had been hurt on a rescue or something along those lines, Scott was still up and fighting, ready to make sure that his younger brothers were safe and happy. But the look in his eye showed Jeff that John wasn't the only son having troubled thoughts. Scott looked almost as haunted as Gordon had.

Scott shrugged in answer to Jeff's question as soon as he was settled in the chair, but winced almost immediately, a clear sign that particular action was going to be off the agenda for a little while. His eyes automatically sought out Gordon's face, and Jeff could see him relax slightly. Asleep like this, there was absolutely no sign of what was going on in Gordon's mind, no clue as to the fierce battle for dominance they knew was going on just under the surface. He looked peaceful, calm even. For the first time since they had got back from the rescue, Gordon looked at ease. Frowning, Jeff leant forward, brushing a stray lock of hair back with his free hand before sighing heavily.

"He looks so young," he muttered quietly, feeling like he needed to say something to Scott, but not knowing what. He had tried reassurance before, tried to tell them that everything was going to be okay. But how could he say it now considering it wasn't only Scott who had been hurt?

"He's tough though," Scott responded softly, shifting as he tried to navigate himself into a vaguely comfortable position, his fingers playing with the edge of the sheet. Scott was no good at sitting still. When he had to, he could go for hours without moving. But when something was troubling him or playing on his mind, he was as bad as Gordon for fidgeting.

"Is he tough enough?" Jeff said sadly, adamantly not looking at Scott as he delivered those words. Once again, he couldn't help but think that if they had been in any other type of situation, there would be no way doubts would ever cross his mind; he trusted his boys. But with something like this? Even everything Kyrano had suggested had backfired on them. And if Kyrano wasn't sure, Jeff had no idea. He was a practical man; he liked to see things in front of him. Dealing with issues of the mind was something way out of his league, and judging by the look on Scott's face, his son had followed in his footsteps in that area.

"I'm so used to fixing things for him," Scott muttered, pain clouding his eyes. Mental or physical, Jeff was not sure, but he hated that look on Scott's face more than anything. If Scott was feeling that he was out of his depth with something, it meant that Jeff had no chance. "When Alan broke his toy fish - you know, the one that used to swim? - he came to me with it, thinking I would be able to do something. I gave it to John and Virgil. Those two were always better with their hands, even as kids. They fixed it, I gave it back to him. I told him it was them, but the smile he gave me... I swore that I would always look after them, Dad. I promised Mom that I wouldn't let anything happen to them."

"That wasn't your promise to make, Scott." Jeff found that his voice was getting close to cracking. "That should have been what I promised. I know I failed you then. All of you, but especially you, son. But you weren't the only one to promise him after the accident that you were never going to give up on him. Looking at him now... I just don't know what to do."

Neither of them heard the door open as they conversed in quiet voices. It wasn't even a conscious move in order to make sure they didn't wake Virgil up, it was simply because they didn't have the energy left in order to say more. The last fight had taken it out of Jeff, making him realise they were out of their depth with this one. But Kyrano slipped softly into the room, moving with a quiet ease that he had mastered over the years of working for the Tracys. He handed both Jeff and Scott mugs, the smell of coffee even causing John to twitch slightly. Leaning Scott forward, he slid a pillow behind his back to keep the eldest son in a more upright position, something he knew would be much better for his ribs. Then he picked up another mug from by the door, crossed the room and handed it to John. Even as the blond Tracy smiled his thanks, a look that by no means met his eyes, Kyrano was drawing a blanket over Virgil. The whole room almost held its breath as Virgil snuffled slightly in his sleep, a frown crossing his face as he let out a noise that sounded like a whimper. But John's free hand combed through his hair and Virgil fell still again.

"Old hospital trick," the astronaut muttered, and Jeff sighed again. Another thing that had emerged from Gordon's time in the hospital. Their lives had been changed so much by that event, a miracle taking place that none of them could explain. But right now, Jeff couldn't help but wonder whether that miracle had just caught up with them.

"He needs the rest," Kyrano said softly, his tone as peaceful and gentle as ever. Jeff nodded his agreement, turning back to Gordon as he did so. Virgil would be fine; John would make sure of that. He knew the elder of his two blonds hated it when he was stuck on the space station and something was troubling his brothers. Having a younger one literally fall asleep on him in a way that hadn't happened for years was definitely reassuring him, especially considering the fond smile on his face as Virgil relaxed into him once more.

"Scott, you should try and get some sleep yourself. I know you've barely slept over the last few days, even when it wasn't your turn to sit with him. You'll heal better if you rest." Jeff was expecting the shake of the head which accompanied his words, but he was not expecting Kyrano to move around the bed. The Malaysian had seen by the set of Scott's jaw that he wasn't moving anywhere, and could see the same stubbornness reflected in Jeff's eyes. The father felt like he had failed one son, he was going to try his hardest to make sure the others listened to him. But knowing that if they were to start arguing, it would simply spiral out of control considering how high emotions were running, Kyrano decided to put a stop to it before it even started. Picking up another blanket that had been resting over the end of Gordon's bed, he draped it over Scott, being mindful of his wounds.

Scott looked surprised, opening his mouth to protest, but Kyrano simply ignored him and stepped away again. He didn't need to look at Jeff to know the father would be shaking his head, forcing his son to back down and submit to being looked after for once. He might not be related to them by blood, but Kyrano considered the men around him to be family, and if there was one thing he knew how to do, it was how to look after them.

He didn't move very far though, instead coming to stand by the head of Gordon's bed and brushing his fingers across the young man's forehead. Kyrano's eyes fell shut and a frown of concentration emerged as he kept the contact with Gordon.

"Dad..."

"Shh." Jeff found that he was barely daring to breathe as he watched Kyrano. Even though he was frowning, the man's face had begun to slacken, almost as if he was falling asleep. Before Jeff could figure out what was going on, Kyrano suddenly breathed in deeply, opening his eyes again and removing his hand from Gordon.

"He has a strong grip," he muttered regretfully, and his tone of voice made it clear that he didn't mean Gordon. Jeff could see Scott's jaw drop in astonishment as he realised that Kyrano had just done something to feel inside of Gordon's head, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see John sitting up, a careful hand making sure Virgil wasn't disturbed by the movement. Ignoring his sons, Jeff locked eyes with his old friend, a plea spiralling out of them.

"Is there anything you can do?" he asked quietly, knowing that he was sounding close to begging. But Kyrano was possibly the only one now who had a chance of breaking Gordon free from the Hood's hold, everything else they had tried had failed. But at the same time, Jeff didn't exactly feel a rush of relief shoot through him even as Kyrano gently nodded. The man's face was grave and serious, nothing at all like the normal look of reassurance present. Whatever it was he could potentially do, it was dangerous.

"I shall attempt to enter his mind myself."

"What?" Scott's yelp was enough to make Virgil grunt slightly in his sleep, but even as John once again set about soothing his younger brother back into peaceful dreams, the pilot fell back in his seat, going deadly pale and gasping slightly as one hand clutched at his ribs. The blanket slid onto the floor and stayed there in a heap. Jeff sighed sadly, standing up and moving behind Scott, resting a hand gently on his shoulder after placing his coffee down on the side. With Scott like this, he wouldn't be drinking it any time soon.

"You'll hurt yourself," he scolded gently, but Scott was tense and rigid under his hand. It was clear that the oldest brother didn't care at all whether he hurt himself, for his gaze was fixed almost fiercely on Kyrano, occasionally flickering down to look at Gordon's sleeping face. He didn't even notice his father taking his own mug out of his hand.

"Isn't that dangerous? I mean, he is already battling the Hood in his own mind, as far as that is even possible. Wouldn't having someone else there be too much for him to handle?"

"For most people, yes." Kyrano glanced down at the sleeping young man, a touch of a smile on his face. "But Gordon's mental capacities are far greater than you give him credit for."

"What do you mean?" Despite knowing by the tension in Scott's body that he would be on his feet in an instant if it meant preventing something from happening to his younger brother, Jeff let go, balancing his hands instead on the back of the chair. Judging by the way his fingers immediately dug into the furniture, it was obvious to anyone who glanced his way how much he was struggling to keep his emotions in check. He didn't understand any of this, but despite previously denying that such things were possible, his son's life was on the line. Considering the strength of the Hood's hold and the promise he had made to Scott about not walking away from it, potentially the whole family were in danger unless they could do something to help.

"How do you think one copes with not being able to move their body for so long? After his accident, young Gordon here would have extended his mental abilities. He wouldn't have realised that he was doing it; he would have just been trying to relieve the boredom. He put up mental shields when he tried to stop you finding out how badly he was hurting."

"He didn't," Scott muttered, leaning forward and resting his hand over Gordon's. "He broke down to me, more than once."

"But did Alan ever find out how he was truly feeling?"

Scott didn't have an answer, instead glancing over his shoulder to his father. Jeff slowly shook his head, and Kyrano smiled.

"He hid how he was feeling from the person closest to him. Have you ever been able to hide how you are feeling from Virgil, Scott?"

Scott switched his gaze, now looking towards where his younger brothers were sitting. Despite the conversation and everything that was happening, he had to smile at Virgil's positioning before slowly shaking his head.

"He always caught me out. And I always catch him out."

"See? He's stronger than you give him credit for. John could potentially withstand it, he holds more in than the rest of you on the best of days, but if anyone has a chance here, it's Gordon."

"Does he though? Have a chance, I mean?"

"If Gordon didn't have a chance, you would have been killed in the silos. In fact, you might not have made it back from the rescue zone."

Kyrano's blunt words made Jeff run a hand through his hair in agitation, trying to get his own mind around the situation at hand. Their family had been through so much over the years, wasn't it time the world just left them alone and stopped trying to take everything from him?

"So you could really help him?" There was something back in Scott's voice that up until now, Jeff hadn't realised had been missing. For the first time since the Hood had almost killed him in this very room, Scott sounded hopeful. Kyrano's attempt at explaining how strong Gordon was had changed something in the oldest brother. Until Kyrano had said that, Scott had been following in his father's footsteps regarding not knowing what to do in order to help his brother. Scott _always_ knew what to do when it came to helping out his brothers, so to be left on the sidelines and be able to do nothing but watch must have been killing him. Especially considering that normally when Scott was stressed, he took to running. The Hood had made sure that the pilot wouldn't even be able to find relief in his normal outlet.

"Scott, listen to me." Kyrano moved from the head of Gordon's bed and took a step towards Scott before pausing. He seemed to realise that John was listening just as intently to this conversation, so instead changed his position until he could address all of them at the same time. "This is dangerous. I was not joking when I said the Hood had a strong hold on your brother. If I go in there, it could do... could do terrible things to Gordon's mind. But I do have a chance at holding my brother back, at least giving Gordon time to regain a little strength, to give him the push he needs. He knows that you are all here, but I can reinforce that."

"He wouldn't give up," John said from across the room, making sure to keep his voice down so as not to disturb his sleeping brother.

"He did before," Scott responded quietly, knowing that Gordon would rather this all ended than make his brothers watch him suffer. It was exactly what he had said before after his hydrofoil accident. He didn't want to suffer, and he didn't want the knowledge pressing down on him that it was making the rest of the family feel the same. John looked like he was going to argue with Scott for a moment, to adamantly claim that Gordon would never give up on anything, it was the reason why he could walk now. But one look at his brother's face and he snapped his mouth shut again. Scott was clearly lost in a memory he would rather forget, and John knew the pilot had been by Gordon's side after his crash almost more than the rest of them put together.

"So you understand what I am trying to tell you?" Kyrano pressed, needing at least one member of the family thinking straight before they agreed to let him do this. If it went wrong, he could either get Gordon killed, or leave the aquanaut trapped in his own mindforever, almost like a coma, regardless of whether the Hood was still present. The consequences were severe, but at this given time, he didn't see another way out of it.

"Can't I do it?" Scott asked, locking eyes with his old friend and finding that his voice had taken on a pleading note without him realising. "I've always been there for him, can't I go now? He knows me, knows what my presence feels like more than yours. He must do. I am his brother after all."

"And if the Hood turns his powers on you? No, Scott, I am afraid I can't allow that, and neither should your father. Just as Gordon knows you, I know the Hood. I know what he feels like, not just in reality, but in the mind as well. He is responsible for more than you know, but up until now, I have always managed to hold him off. You have to trust that I am the best chance at this working that Gordon has."

"But..."

"Scott."

Jeff's one word, so quietly uttered and sounding so defeated was all that was needed to make Scott shut his mouth again. John carefully navigated himself out from under Virgil, making sure his brother didn't slip at all as he rested him back in the chair, and slowly came over. Without saying a word, he perched on the edge of Gordon's bed and brushed back his brother's hair.

"He looks so young like this." The words he didn't speak caused Scott and Jeff to exchange looks, knowing what John meant. Gordon looked so vulnerable, lying on a stark white bed, strapped down and pale. It was what Jeff had been getting at when Scott had first made it across the room.

"You can help him?" Unlike Scott's words to Kyrano, John was not asking a question. He was pleading, begging their friend to be able to do something. He wasn't asking really asking Kyrano if he could help their brother, but telling him to do so. The look in his eye was enough to tell Kyrano that he had the consent of at least one family member.

Kyrano nodded softly, moving around until he was standing next to John. Getting the hint, John stood up again and let the man sit on the bed in his place.

"Scott?"

Scott sighed heavily, glancing between Kyrano and Gordon. He understood what the man had told him about what he was going to try and do, but the pilot was still finding it hard to get his head around how that was even possible. He did accept, however, that Kyrano was the best chance that Gordon had. What did he know about matters of the mind? Glancing at John, he lowered his eyes and nodded. If John trusted Kyrano, then Scott had to do the same. His brother was the smartest man that he knew, and if he didn't see an obvious flaw in the plan, the chances were that there wasn't one other than what Kyrano had already told them.

"I need you to say it, Scott," Kyrano practically whispered, twisting in his position until he was looking at Scott and no one else. He had to hear the words come from the oldest brother, knowing that if something went wrong, Scott wouldn't be thinking straight. He needed to know for his own peace of mind that the most protective Tracy had agreed to let him do this, whether he liked it or not.

"Do it."

Kyrano turned back, stretching out his hands towards Gordon again. They were hovering over the young man's temples, hands sure and steady. But he didn't touch.

"Jeff?" It wasn't often Kyrano addressed the father by his first name, but considering what he was about to try and do, he didn't think that formalities had a place here.

Unlike Scott, Jeff didn't hesitate. If both of his sons could trust the man, the least he could do was the same. It wasn't as if he could think of anything else that would help his son.

"Yes," he whispered softly, and Kyrano moved even closer.

"Wait."

Without hesitating, the Malaysian froze, still not coming into contact with Gordon. Scott had to give it to him, the man's reactions were quick even as they all turned to face John.

"What about Virg?"

Knowing what he meant, Scott bit his lip, turning to face his sleeping brother.

"And Alan," he added softly. The three of them had just potentially made a decision that could cost Gordon his life without consulting the rest of the family. But it was Gordon himself who answered that question.

Even as they all froze, he suddenly whimpered, a frown slowly beginning to appear on his face as his hand twitched in the restraint.

"The sedative is wearing off," Scott stated softly, glancing at the rest of his family as he did so. What did that mean for Gordon?

"Mr Tracy, if I'm going to do this, I have to do it whilst Gordon is still under. I have no chance of holding the Hood off if he is properly awake."

"John, wake up Virgil," Jeff ordered, moving to take Gordon's twitching hand, gently holding him still. He didn't want his son to wake up and panic the way he had done last time. "We might need him to administer something else. Or just to keep an eye on things, he's done more training than the rest of us. Once he is awake, I need you to summon Brains, fill him in as much as you can. Again, there might be something he can do to help."

"F.A.B." John confirmed, moving away from the bed and heading back across the infirmary towards his sleeping brother. His father's orders had brought a slight smile to his face, though. It might be Kyrano who was about to enter his brother's mind, but the rest of the family were still needed.

"Kyrano... do it." Taking a deep breath, Jeff shakily lowered himself into a chair, closing his eyes momentarily. He had no idea what he had just told his friend to do.

"Tell Tin-Tin I love her."

Before anything else could be said to question why the man thought there was even the possibility that he wouldn't be able to tell his daughter himself, Kyrano shut his eyes and touched the side of Gordon's head. Once again, a frown overcame his face, and Gordon moaned again, his body shifting as he whimpered. Scott didn't say a word, just mirrored his father's actions, holding Gordon's other hand. Neither of them needed to ask what was happening, it was obvious that Kyrano was entering the mix.

The suspicion was confirmed when the Malaysian's body suddenly sagged, Scott's Field Commander reactions meaning he moved in order to stop the man from collapsing onto Gordon. Letting out a gasp at the weight on his battered body, Scott felt a rush of light-headiness hit him, forcing him back down into his seat. As Virgil slowly began to wake up, John hurried back over and somehow navigated Kyrano until he was resting across the top of Gordon's bed, still in close contact with the younger man but not at any risk of either falling off or hurting Gordon.

Now all they could do was wait.


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry this is late, real life got a bit busy! Thank you once again for all of the amazing support!**

It was dark and cold, and the feeling of being suppressed was almost more than he could take. If he'd had to put into words how he was feeling, Gordon would have said it was like being caught in a strong wind. It was penetrating and cold, getting into every inch of him whilst making him feel like he was being forced this way and that. It was strange. There were no physical signs of what was happening within, yet Gordon had never felt like he was losing a fight against his own body as much as right now. He had survived having nearly every bone broken (the majority at once), but at least then, people had known at a glance. Now, there was no clue as to what was going on in his own head.

He could feel the Hood now more than ever. Something about the sedative had stopped the creep from rising to the surface. But whilst that might have kept his family safe, it just meant that Gordon was left to battle him by himself. The Hood couldn't torment the rest of the family by using Gordon's body or voice, so it meant that he had turned on his host. Gordon's resistance was clearly stronger than the Hood had been expecting if the way the attack had suddenly intensified was anything to go by. Before, Gordon had had very little control over his own body, but he did still have a slight awareness regarding what was going on around him. It was how he had managed to stop the attack in the silos, how he had forced his body to run after attacking Scott in the infirmary.

But now, it was as if the Hood had had enough. Being forced to keep the battle internal thanks to the sedative, the maniac was clearly trying to make sure that when they awoke, he would be the one in charge. But whilst he may have been possessing Gordon's mind, that didn't stop the redhead from thinking for himself as well. There was something almost desperate in the way the Hood was attempting to drive him into a corner and keep him there. It was obvious that he couldn't cast Gordon out of his own mind, but he seemed to be trying to make damn sure the aquanaut didn't fight back any longer. There had always been this type of suppression, but not to this extent. Gordon couldn't help but wonder whether the Hood was running out of time. Why else would he be getting this feeling of desperation? It wasn't as if the man had anything to lose, nothing that hadn't been a risk since he had first done this.

Gordon felt as if he was being cornered. But there was no way that the redhead was about to give up fighting. The Hood might have nothing to lose, but Gordon did. He knew that if he gave in, his whole family would be destroyed quicker than he would even be able to think "no". He had to keep focused, had to make the man decide that this was too much trouble. So he had taken the corner he had been forced into and made it his own. It was still dark and cold, but Gordon refused to budge. Judging by the way the attack had increased again, the Hood seemed to realise it.

If he was honest, Gordon wasn't completely sure how long he would be able to keep fighting for. It would be nothing to do with giving up, but simply him running out of energy. The Hood didn't seem to be relenting, and it was making him feel weary. He needed something, some kind of...

There.

He had no idea what it was he was seeing, or even if he was actually seeing anything at all and not just imagining things. Ever since he had realised that there was another presence in his mind, Gordon hadn't stopped thinking about what was and wasn't possible. He was trapped in his own mind; it didn't seem worth the effort of continuing to work out whether this was even plausible anymore. But troubling thoughts aside, Gordon couldn't deny that he was feeling warmer. There was a light coming closer, flooding the darkness with a soft reassuring glow that seemed to seep through his whole body. The Hood was almost recoiling from it with a snarl, backing away from his assault. Gordon found that he was suddenly nervous. This was not his doing, he had been struggling just to maintain the hold he had gained. This was something else, and he couldn't help the bitterness that mingled with his nerves. Did his mind suddenly have an open door policy, allowing anyone and everyone to pop in when they felt like it?

"Gordon?"

He knew that voice. It was one that was the complete opposite of the one he had been subjected to for the last few days. Warm and gentle, soft and reassuring in comparison to the cold tones oozing in hatred. It didn't have the same reassurance that his brothers' and father's did, but it was enough to have Gordon almost scrambling forward. Then to stop, wondering whether this was perhaps a trick to make him abandon his hard-won corner.

"Kyrano?"

"I'm here." Suddenly, the man was. The area around Gordon was bathed in the light and it was as if the man was actually standing in front of him. Telling himself firmly that he wasn't going to think about whether it was real or not, Gordon just blinked.

"How?"

"My brother is not the only one with the skill to enter someone's mind. Unlike him, I don't exploit it."

"What do I do, Kyrano?" Wasting no more time, Gordon latched onto what he was seeing as a potential lifeline. "I can't hold him back any longer, he's too strong."

"Then he has already won."

"What?" Gordon hadn't been expecting that. He froze, and as he did so, the light seemed to dip and flicker slightly, a wave of coldness spreading out once more.

"If you think you cannot stop him, then you can't."

"It's not that I don't think I can, I just don't know how!"

At the stubborn note in Gordon's voice, the light and warmth immediately came flooding back and he found himself staring at Kyrano's smiling face. It wasn't that Gordon was giving up fighting, far from it. But he had been forced back, cornered in his own mind despite everything he had tried to throw at the Hood. He would never give up, not whilst his brothers were in danger. But something told him that he was losing.

"They want you to know they believe in you."

Gordon wasn't even going to ask how Kyrano knew that was what he had been thinking. The man was in his mind, after all. But somehow, the light seemed to flare that little bit brighter. If the rest of the family didn't think he could do it, then Gordon knew he was lost. They seemed to think he was strong but he had never told them that the only time he was able to even pretend to be so was when he was surrounded by them. After his accident, the nightmares had almost got too much; he knew what he had confessed to Scott when he had admitted that he hadn't wanted to go on. He wasn't proud of it, but his brother had been the one to pull him through, make him believe that his life would be worth living. But ever since that day, when he was around the rest of the family, it was as if he could pull on this hidden reserve of strength he never even knew he had.

"What do I have to do?" Gordon whispered, the heat that had been in his voice before disappearing. He knew that he sounded desperate, but found that he couldn't bring himself to care. He wasn't only in the fight for his mind here; he was fighting to stop the Hood from destroying his family.

Kyrano smiled, coming closer. The closer he got, the stronger Gordon felt. It was as if he was bringing the warmth with him, filling his soul with the strength to carry on fighting.

"He is using your mind."

"You don't say..."

"But it is still _your_ mind. Turn from a defensive mode, drive him back."

"But how?" Gordon pressed, shutting his eyes momentarily as he felt the Hood try and resume his attack. Whatever Kyrano was trying to do, the redhead couldn't help but feel that he was not going to have much time to do it. The creep was fuming, and he was strong. It was apparent their resident Malaysian was stronger than they realised, but Gordon wasn't sure he was strong enough. Already he could feel the coldness pressing in on them. If he had had to describe it, he would have said that they were in a bubble of warmth, the cold and darkness pushing in on all sides. But as time passed, that bubble felt like it was getting smaller.

"He is trying to use you against your family. Do the same back – they may be your weakness, but they are also your greatest strength. Think of your brothers, how they would never stop fighting for you. Think of your father, who is never going to give up, no matter what the cost. Think of..." Kyrano paused, placing a hand on Gordon's shoulder and looking him directly in the eye. "Think of your mother. How she has never stopped loving you, how she will always be there for you no matter what happens. He can control your body but he cannot control what you think. He thrives off hate, Gordon, so think of love."

For a long moment, Gordon simply just stared. He had no idea what he was supposed to say to that. He had been hoping for (and almost expecting) some battle strategy, for Scott to be sending him a message about how and where to strike. He knew that his brother would have no idea how to fight this, but the concept of Scott not knowing what to do was not one Gordon was familiar with. He, like his big brother, was a fighter. Give him something physical to react against, and the outcome would almost be guaranteed. But fighting back with love? What was that even supposed to mean? His confusion must have shown, for Kyrano smiled sympathetically.

"You'll know what to do, Gordon." Kyrano had barely finished speaking when he suddenly seemed to contort, his face betraying a flash of pain. It happened so quickly that Gordon wasn't even sure whether he had seen it or not. But the wave of coldness that followed it confirmed that something was wrong, that Kyrano's time was almost up

"But how? How do I use that against him, it doesn't even make sense!" Gordon was desperate again now, reaching out to Kyrano as if to make the man stay with him through sheer force of will.

"You'll know. Now, I fear my own body is calling me back."

"No! Don't...don't leave me!" Gordon had gone past the point of caring how he sounded. He had been alone for too long, isolated in his own mind and being forced to turn against everyone he cared about.

Kyrano smiled once more, his expression reassuring and warm. "This is not my place, Gordon. Any more than it is his. Take it back. Cast us both from it, claim back what is yours. And remember, love can defeat him."

Gordon could only watch, open mouthed, as Kyrano almost seemed to just fade from his sight. One moment he was there, the next...gone. Immediately, the coldness pressed back down on him and Gordon cried out as the Hood made his anger known at the intrusion.

Curling up, once more back in his corner, Gordon thought furiously over what Kyrano had been saying. It hadn't told him anything. He had already known that his family wouldn't have given up on him and would want him to fight. But the man hadn't exactly given him any solid advice on what to do.

"_He did, moron. Just listen for once." _It was John's voice, floating through his mind, and Gordon could almost picture his brother sitting there. He would be in a chair, feet propped up over the side and a book in his hands, staring at him. His expression would show that he couldn't believe Gordon hadn't understood, just the way he had never understood when his younger brother couldn't explain a maths problem.

"_Be nice."_ Scott would appear next to him, a small frown on his face as he scolded their brother even though his eyes twinkled in amusement. Virgil would be there too, Scott's usual shadow. No, that wasn't fair, for his immediate older brother could be so much more than Scott on occasions. He would slide onto the piano stool, his fingers moving automatically on the keys. Gordon knew this piece; it was something his brother had recorded for him for when he had spent all the time in the hospital after the accident.

"_But Gordon can do anything."_ Alan was suddenly there as well, a wide smile on his young face as he looked towards Gordon, still in the belief that his closest brother would be able to fix everything. They were all there, all believing that he could do it.

As the images and words of his brothers filled his head, Gordon found himself drifting away. He knew the cold was still surrounding him, but it was as if he couldn't feel it any more. But neither was it the same as the bubble before. That had been something protecting him, Kyrano somehow keeping the Hood at bay. This was coming from within him. The cold couldn't push it back because it was everywhere, infiltrating everything and soothing the confusing mass that was his thoughts.

"_Of course he can. He's my little superstar, that's why."_

"Mom..." Gordon found that it was as if he couldn't breathe. He had stopped thinking about how this was even possible as it was all happening in his own head. She was right there, exactly the way he remembered her. Her smiling face, eyes filled with warmth, love and pride as she looked down on him, her face expressing things in a way his father's never could. He knew the man was proud of them and loved them all, but his mother had always been so expressive, her emotions out there for the whole world to see. It had been Gordon's ambition to make sure that she was constantly smiling at him, although that had not always been possible considering his knack for trouble. But she was here, right now, smiling that same smile down at him.

If he thought he had felt warmth before, it was nothing compared to what shot through him now. It was like a fire, racing through his body and driving back the cold. Now it wasn't Gordon stuck in the corner, it was his enemy. The Hood almost seemed to snarl, attempting to drive forward once again, but Gordon was no longer fighting. He was just letting it happen, suddenly understanding what it was that Kyrano had been going on about before. He didn't need to fight as such, he just needed to be himself. Scott's smirk, John's amusement, Virgil's easy-going nature, Alan's enthusiasm, Grandma's stern look despite twinkling eyes, his father's pride, his mother's smile... He didn't need to be on his own with this.

Settling into a more comfortable and secure position, Gordon smiled softly. He was no longer trapped in his own mind, but lost in the memories of his family, letting the emotions wash over him. A bubble seemed to appear once more, falling over him with ease as it kept the Hood back. For the first time since he had felt the evil presence enter his mind, Gordon could honestly say that he felt at peace.

"Thanks, Kyrano," he whispered, and the bubble intensified. It wasn't just his immediate family that he was seeing now, but everyone who lived on the island. Brains trying to win the battle against his ever-sliding spectacles, Kyrano's reassuring presence, Tin-Tin's laugh... Faintly, he could hear the Hood snarling in frustration, but it was as if the sound was now muted. His family were protecting him, nothing could happen now.

TBTBTB

Back in reality, the rest of the family watched with bated breath. As soon as Kyrano had entered Gordon's mind, it was as if Gordon's body was reacting to what was going on within. His heart rate had picked up and he had begun to struggle slightly against the restraints. No one was sure whether it was because he was trying to reject the third presence in his mind, or whether it was something that was going on within his head.

Scott would have given anything to know what was happening. He knew that even if Kyrano explained it when he woke up, the pilot would not fully be able to grasp the significance of what the man was saying. He knew that he just had to trust his old friend on this, and believe that Kyrano would know how to make Gordon fight.

Not that it was enough to stop him worrying like hell when his brother started showing signs of distress. Gordon's fist clenched and his brow furrowed, his breathing picking up to match his heart rate.

"Kyrano?"

John's quiet voice made Scott jump, finally turning away from where he had been watching every move Gordon was making and trying to second guess what was going on in his brother's mind. The Malaysian was awake, or at least, his eyes were open. Jeff and John both moved across the room, Virgil taking a few steps too. But Scott refused to move, he refused to leave Gordon's side. A part of him knew that it was a desperate act to make sure that his brother knew he was there for him, but Scott found that he didn't particularly care. He had once sworn to not leave Gordon's side until his brother was ready to get rid of him, and he intended to stick to that promise now. He didn't care how long it meant that he had to force his hurting body to stay in the same place, he wasn't budging.

That didn't stop him from watching intently as John adjusted the bed so that Kyrano could sit up. The man looked awful, and Virgil immediately busied himself with taking his temperature and looking into Kyrano's eyes. Scott wasn't sure whether he should be worried or not by the fact that his friend wasn't putting up a fight over it, but then he caught sight of the small smile on his face. Kyrano was just humouring Virgil. Just as Scott felt that he couldn't move from Gordon's side, Virgil too needed to feel like he was doing something beneficial. Kyrano was the one with the chance to help Gordon, so the artist was making damn sure that he could help Kyrano to the best of his ability.

"Well, your temperature's a bit low, but you seem okay." Even Virgil had to admit defeat on this one and John reached around, squeezing the back of his neck lightly.

"You should get off your ankle, Virg."

Virgil, however, completely ignored him. "What happened? Is Gordon going to be okay?"

"That's up to him," Kyrano said softly, not seeming to meet their gazes. Scott felt his heart sink as Gordon twisted on the bed again. Whatever Kyrano had done, whatever he had said, it was clear that it hadn't truly helped his brother, not yet. By the long sigh that Kyrano gave, it felt to Scott that Gordon simply hadn't understood what it was that he had to do. Kyrano softly pulled himself off the bed and began moving across the infirmary. Scott couldn't hold back his grin as John immediately shoved Virgil down onto the now empty bed, forcing him to take the weight off his ankle.

"What did you say to him?" Scott asked quietly, as his father came to stand next to him. Jeff had one hand resting on Scott's shoulder – albeit gently, mindful of his son's injuries – and the other on the bed next to Gordon, supporting his weight. Virgil wasn't the only one having trouble supporting his own weight and as Scott realised what his father was doing, he couldn't help but swallow hard. John was the only one who remained unscathed, and even he had been thrown across the room. If Gordon couldn't focus on whatever it was that Kyrano had said, Scott wasn't sure they stood a chance. Not to mention that whilst the Hood was more than prepared to hurt them and didn't even need to make physical contact in order to do so, they had no chance of retaliating. He knew that he wasn't the only one who wouldn't be able to bring himself to hurt Gordon, even if it was to save his own life. That wasn't what being a big brother was all about.

"That's for him to know and focus on," Kyrano said quietly, heading towards the door. "I'll leave you all be for a little while."

"But-" John's protest was cut off as Jeff nodded seriously. Their friend walked from the room, and it suddenly seemed quiet.

"You could have stopped him from leaving!" John exclaimed, staring in astonishment at Jeff. "There was no reason for him to go, he's in this as much as we are."

"He wanted to, Johnny," Jeff responded softly, locking eyes with his second-born. "We don't know what happened there, and it is clear that Kyrano doesn't feel like it's his place to tell us."

John looked like he was going to argue some more – his frustration at the whole situation making him feel like he needed to lash out – but Virgil caught his brother around the wrist, shaking his head softly. John seemed to sag, blowing out a long breath and sitting down on the bed next to Virgil. Scott didn't react to what was going on around him, his gaze once more locked on his younger brother. It was almost as if he was trying to bring Gordon back to them with just the weight of his stare.

"What happens now?" John murmured softly, gazing up at Jeff. His father sighed, but already John's gaze had been drawn away. Scott had suddenly tensed, the tension rippling up and down his arms as his fist clenched then relaxed.

"Scott? What's wrong?"

"Look..." Scott breathed, almost as if he was scared that he would disturb whatever it was that was happening if he spoke too loud. John slowly got off the bed, supporting Virgil by the upper arm and helping his brother hobble across the room. Something in John was reluctant to look, almost as if it would break whatever spell had captivated Scott. What if it wasn't real, whatever it was that had caused the momentarily look of hope to flicker into Scott's eyes? What if he looked and just saw that Gordon was once more struggling to stay alive, to stop the Hood from breaking him down completely? Distracting himself, he made sure that Virgil was settled in the chair next to the bed, fussing around his brother until said brother gave him a sharp poke in the ribs. John sighed, knowing that his pretence was up. He should have known that Virgil would realise what he was up to. Even so, he looked at Scott before he turned to face the object of his brother's attention. His older brother clearly didn't know how to react, almost wanting to look hopeful but not being sure that he could risk it. It was obvious John was not the only one afraid of looking just in case it wasn't real.

Eventually though, the blond could put it off no longer and slowly turned to face the bed. Only to find that his breath caught in his throat even as Virgil made an almost excited noise.

"His heart rate is settling."

The movement next to him indicated his brother was not staying put in the chair, and John automatically moved out of the way as Virgil limped past, heading towards the monitors.

"Scott?" John didn't mean for his voice to sound so uncertain - so young and vulnerable - but he couldn't help it. None of them knew what their brother was going through and John wasn't even sure whether what he was seeing was truly Gordon or the Hood once more trying to trick them. But there could be no denying that Gordon wasn't thrashing in the restraints in the same way. His whole body seemed to have settled as his breathing fell into a more rhythmic pattern.

"He's winning," Scott whispered, not so much as glancing at John as he spoke. He knew Gordon. He knew that the small frown pinching the bridge of his nose meant that something was holding his attention, even though it didn't necessarily mean anything bad. But the rest of his face had relaxed, and Scott could have sworn that the corner of his brother's mouth was occasionally twitching.

"Whatever Kyrano said, it's working. Look at him! Look! His colour is coming back slightly, he's..." Scott suddenly stopped, blinking almost in surprise. "He's relaxed."

John suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder as Virgil tried to peer around him whilst standing on one leg. For the first time in days, he felt the urge to laugh. Gordon was fighting - and he was winning. Whatever Kyrano had said, whatever the Hood had been trying to do, their brother had found the strength to overcome that.

"Um, guys?" John could almost hear the smile in Virgil's voice even as his brother wobbled slightly precariously. "I think he is waking up."

John's head shot back to Gordon so fast that it made his neck crick, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Virgil seemed to be right, Gordon looked as if he was stirring slightly.

Could this be their brother coming back to them?


	13. Chapter 13

**I know, I know, I'm so late with this! Real life got in the way a little bit! Hope you like it after the wait!**

"Gordon? Gordon, can you hear me?"

"Give him some space, Scott."

Jeff reached out and grabbed the back of Scott's shirt, bodily pulling his oldest son back even whilst being mindful of the injuries that the Field Commander had received. There could be no denying that Gordon's eyes were flickering, that he was fighting the remains of the sedative with everything he had, struggling to wake up. Scott fell back with a huff, but John was immediately behind him, resting his hands on his brother's shoulders and keeping the older man in his seat. Regardless of his words, Jeff himself stepped forward. Leaning forward, he cupped Gordon's cheek with one hand.

"Son?" His voice was soft and gentle, yet there had been a hint of a command in there as the father willed his second-youngest to open his eyes once more. In a way, Jeff wasn't completely sure whether he wanted Gordon to wake up or not. At least now that he was resting peacefully, his son looked at ease. What would his eyes show? The raging battle that they knew was happening within? Or would that same sense of peace be radiated in his waking expression as well as his sleeping one?

"Heart rate is still settling, breathing patterns returning to normal. The sedative has to be wearing off. Keep talking to him, Dad, he's definitely waking up."

Nodding his understanding at Virgil's words and trusting his son's medical opinion, Jeff hitched himself into a more secure position on the bed. The hand resting on Gordon moved, slowly and soothingly stroking his son's hair back. When Gordon had been suffering from nightmares after his hydrofoil accident, Jeff had discovered that this little trick always soothed the young man.

"Gordy? C'mon, fish-face, you need to wake up." John might have been holding him back but Scott was not going to stop trying to get through to his brother. Normally, he would have been able to throw the astronaut off, but considering how much his body was protesting against even the slightest movement, the Field Commander had to admit defeat on this one and stay sitting still.

Knowing it would be killing Scott to have to sit back, Jeff shifted position until he was sure that his eldest had a view of his younger brother. "Open those eyes, Gordon," he whispered softly, his words barely audible to his other sons. Scott's words hadn't met with any sort of reaction, but there was definitely a change in Gordon's breathing pattern at Jeff's words. The father didn't need Virgil's gasp and medical knowledge to tell him that, years of experience had made him aware the split second his son returned to consciousness. Watching him closely, Jeff smiled warmly as Gordon's eyes opened.

"Hey, son. How are you feeling?" Inwardly, Jeff cursed. What a thing to ask. It was apparent that Gordon was far from okay. But to his surprise, his son just blinked up at him, eyes clearer than they had been before. Not only was it definitely the stubborn Tracy's eyes looking back at Jeff, they were free from the pain from before as well.

"'kay..." Gordon whispered, his voice hoarse.

Jeff moved off the bed as he felt Virgil fiddling around, and sure enough, the angle of the bed changed, helping Gordon to sit up. The artist moved around with a cup of water and a straw in his hand, smiling gently at his brother.

"Thirsty?"

Gordon nodded and Virgil subtly moved Jeff over, allowing him access to his brother. As Virgil helped Gordon drink, John moved forward. His hand came to rest on top of Gordon's, fiddling with the restraints that had been holding his brother down.

"Don't!" Gordon jerked back wildly from Virgil. Immediately, his brother took a step backwards and Jeff gave him a tight smile, grateful for his quick thinking. Gordon was clearly the one with control over his mind right now, but if he felt crowded or at all uncomfortable, there would be no telling what the outcome would be. It was up to him to guide them about what they should do, and luckily the medic seemed to understand that. Scott would be another matter entirely, but at least someone was taking note.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't undo them..." Gordon whispered, his voice dropping dramatically as he turned an almost pleading expression onto his father. John had frozen, looking worried and sad as he glanced between his father and younger brother.

"You want them to stay on?" Jeff asked quietly, frowning as he leant forward. Another thing that had emerged from Gordon's accident was just how much the prankster hated staying still. If he was opting to stay restrained, then something was very wrong.

"I don't know if I'm truly holding him back or whether he is just letting me." Gordon continued in the same quiet tone, but everyone could hear. That was the one advantage to them all being crowded around the bed, nothing was missed. Jeff could make out Scott struggling up from his seat now that John was no longer keeping him down. He rolled his eyes, but let it happen. It was obvious that Scott wasn't going to stay back, no matter what everyone was telling him.

"How does it feel?"

"Like..." Gordon broke off, his eyes falling shut for a moment. It was weird to see him trying to measure what was going on in his own head. He nodded softly even as his eyes opened again. "Like I'm in control."

"Then don't you want to feel free as well?" John asked, mimicking the quietness of his father's and brother's voices and barely even whispering. Gordon shook his head, tears in his eyes.

"Don't want to hurt anyone."

"But..."

"If he wants them on, then on is where they stay," Jeff interrupted firmly, seeing that John wasn't understanding Gordon's thought processes. If he was honest, neither was he, but if that was how Gordon felt safe, then that was what was going to happen.

"You won't hurt us." Scott had finally managed to make it off his chair and had stumbled over to the bed. But it was clear that he was reaching the end of his tether with forcing his body to move. His father was surprised he had lasted this long. Virgil had been pale ever since his leg had been trapped, yet Scott had been beaten until he was unconscious. Jeff knew that as soon as they were certain that Gordon was going to be alright, his oldest son would crash. Glancing over his shoulder, Jeff had to smirk as he saw the expression on Virgil's face. His middle son's eyes were narrowed as he watched his brother move. Scott would crash... Or Virgil would make him.

"But...you..."

"This? Pft, nothing, John did worse when he fell out of the tree when he was ten."

There was a shadow of a smile on Gordon's face that caused Jeff's spirits to soar. Scott was lying, and Gordon knew he was. But in a way, it didn't matter. It was the attempt that mattered, his attempt to try and make his little brother feel better.

"They stay on," Gordon muttered, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

Silence fell across the room, no one quite knowing what to say. Somehow, it had to be Gordon to lead the conversation. John let his hand rest over his brother's for a moment longer, giving it a quick squeeze before sitting back. Scott's hand brushed briefly across the back of the blond's shoulders and John gave him a quick nod. Jeff knew that working with International Rescue had enabled his boys to communicate swiftly and often without words. But this kind of interaction stemmed back long before that, back to when they were kids. Scott knew precisely how much contact John would allow and when. Virgil came around the bed, coming to a stop next to where Scott had sat down, and it came as no surprise when the younger brother shuffled closer to the older so that their arms were just brushing.

"What did Kyrano do, Gords?" Unable to take the silence any longer – it was not something he ever tended to associate with Gordon – Virgil had to break it. Scott poked him in the ribs with a disapproving look, but Gordon slowly opened his eyes again. They obtained a faraway look and, for a split second, everyone tensed. But then Gordon smiled, such a genuine one that Jeff found that he too had a smile on his face. It seemed like such a long time since his boy had had that expression present.

"He brought you all in."

"What?" Scott looked positively alarmed even as John shot him an amused look. The oldest brother was out of his depth regarding battles of the mind as it was, let alone trying to comprehend what was happening now.

"I don't mean literally." Gordon chuckled slightly, and Jeff shared a grin with Virgil. The redhead was acting more like himself than he had done for days. Maybe whatever it was Kyrano had said had been what Gordon had needed to hear. Gordon frowned quizzically at John. "Did he?"

The blond shook his head.

"Nope, we stayed right inside our own heads, thank you very much. Don't want to know what goes on in yours."

"I don't think I do know, not anymore."

Once more, John gave his brother's hand a quick squeeze of reassurance.

"You were saying...?" Jeff prompted, determined to keep Gordon talking now that he had started. Not to mention he was revelling in the feeling of hearing his son sounding like himself, not like a cold-blooded killer who wanted to destroy his family.

"You were all there. It was like you were telling me I could do it."

"We never doubted it."

"And then?" John ignored Scott's comment, leaning forward in what looked like fascination. Whilst this was way out of Scott's league and John himself had no true idea about what was going on, he couldn't help but be interested. Maybe, when this was over, he would talk to their resident Malaysian about what was going on. When something caught his attention, he didn't rest until he knew everything there was to know about it. He had to fill the hours on Five somehow!

"Mom," Gordon whispered, his eyes swimming with tears once more. But unlike before, there was hope shining out of them. His brothers immediately reflected his look, all of them glancing at Jeff as they did so. The father kept his eyes firmly fixed on his second-youngest, but had to swallow past the lump in his throat.

"She's always been watching over you," he said softly.

"Over us all," Scott corrected, leaning across the bed to grasp his father's shoulder. The movement was a stretch too far and he winced, gasping slightly as the colour drained from his face.

"Scott, come help me with something?" Not waiting for an answer, Virgil grabbed his brother – somewhat gently – by the arm and pulled him away. Considering his limp and Scott's condition, it was hard to say who was supporting who. The three remaining Tracys glanced at each other, and John had a wry smile of amusement on his face. He had to fight to stop himself from laughing out loud at hearing the furious whispering taking place on the other side of the room. Glancing over, he could see Virgil trying to force Scott back onto the bed. But taking in the fact that he was clearly favouring one leg over the other, Scott wasn't going down easily and instead seemed to be trying to push Virgil into a chair. At this rate, they were both going to end up on the floor.

"I really hurt him, didn't I?"

John's smile vanished quicker than it had emerged at Gordon's voice. Jeff moved, looking like he was getting closer to his son, but it didn't take much to figure out that his new position had blocked Gordon's view of what was happening on the other side of the room.

"You know Scott. He can take a lot worse if he knows that you are okay."

"Am I?"

"Yes," Jeff said firmly. Gordon had started to look down, his fingers playing with the bed sheets even with his hand still tied down. His father reached across and took him by the chin, turning his head until he was looking him in the eye. "You are going to be just fine. Do you know nothing of the stubbornness of Tracys? You – we – are going to beat this and by the time Alan gets back from his vacation, it will all just be a story to tell him, nothing more."

"But..."

"Come on, Gords. You should know what Dad says is law. If he says that you are going to be okay, then you better not think about arguing against it."

Gordon looked like he was going to protest against his brother's reasoning. They may have believed that their father – and then Scott – could fix anything as children, but that wasn't the case anymore. Too many times had Gordon been fiercely reminded of the fact that, as much as he idolised them, his family were only human. But the hope he had been feeling when his mother's voice had echoed through his head was now shining out of John's eyes. For years, the quietest Tracy had been the one Gordon turned to; John had been the one he had always looked up to as a child. So many times John had reignited Gordon's hope and now the redhead couldn't find it in himself to extinguish his brother's. Glancing down, he nodded.

"Do you mind if I go back to sleep?" he muttered quietly. Jeff smiled softly, standing up and gently lowering the bed back down again. Automatically, he pushed the pillow until it was at an angle, knowing that was how his son liked it. Gordon gave him a small smile even as Jeff made a show of pulling the covers up again, tucking him in just like he had done when Gordon was a small boy. It was a sign of how insecure the aquanaut was feeling, for he didn't protest. It wasn't like he could make himself comfortable, not with his hands strapped down, but his father was certainly making the point of getting Gordon as warm and cosy as he could.

"We'll be right here when you wake up."

"No." Gordon lifted his head, taking Jeff by surprise at the intensity of the gaze that he was being subjected to. "Talk to Al, please? Please, Dad, you know he'll be going mental at not knowing. And get Virg and Scott out of here until they are both ready to stop acting like asses. I don't want to see what I did to them."

"It wasn't y..."

"Just do it, please." There was such a plea in Gordon's voice that Jeff automatically nodded, combing his fingers through his son's hair.

"Okay. If that's what you want?"

Gordon nodded again.

"John will stay, won't you?"

"Course, kiddo." John slouched into his chair, swinging his legs up onto the bed and making a show of making himself comfortable. Knowing that Gordon had always listened to John more than he ever had to his oldest brother or father, Jeff knew they would be okay. Not to mention John could always keep a cool head in times of trouble. If there was anyone he was happy leaving Gordon with, it was his oldest blond. Blowing out a long breath, he knew it was going to be more of a challenge to get Virgil and Scott to leave. Standing up, Jeff looked down on his son, lying there vulnerable. In an uncharacteristic display of affection, he bent forward and kissed Gordon's forehead.

"Sleep well, son."

With the comforting weight of John's feet on the bed next to him and hearing the sounds of a normal argument happening on the other side of the room, Gordon had a smile on his face as he drifted back to sleep.

TBTBTB

Gordon had no idea how long he had been asleep the second time around, he only knew that he was warm and reasonably comfortable. He felt consciousness return to him, but didn't open his eyes for a long while, relishing the feeling of just being able to lie there. The feeling of relief coursed through his body, making him feel lethargic. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling though. Unfortunately for him, it meant the brother sitting by his side didn't realise he was awake. Engrossed in his book, John didn't see Gordonsuddenlyflinch, a scream echoing wordlessly through his mind as something else also stirred. Gordon tried to warn John, tried to do something to let his brother know the Hood was back. Gordon should have known. The sense of relief should have warned him. He would have just been feeling empty if the Hood had really gone, no doubt the maniac had decided to make him feel relieved in order to let his guard down.

Even if he had wanted to, Gordon wouldn't have been able to open his mouth. He could feel his breathing picking up as he struggled not to panic. Tears were pricking at the corners of his eyes as he fought to move his body. But it was like he was paralysed all over again. Gordon had felt like this before, lying in a hospital bed and being told he would never walk again. Gordon had defeated then, but as much as he tried to think positively, he wasn't sure he would be able to this time. The redhead growled at himself, forcing himself to not give in.

Frantically, he tried to bring forth all of his memories of his family, of his mother. Everything that had saved him beforehand he tried to bring to mind, but whilst he had been sleeping, the Hood had been working. Gordon couldn't focus on anything, sharp shooting pains stabbing through his head. Every time he thought he had gripped a memory and the pain reduced slightly, it came flooding back, tenfold.

"_This has gone on long enough. Now, you are mine. Now, they will pay."_

He thought of everything that Kyrano had told him, all the times his father had sworn that he could do this, his brothers' belief in him.

"_They won't help you now. Give in and it will stop hurting. But you cannot stop me now, you are mine."_

"_Never!"_ Biting his lip, Gordon made another sound of distress, not realising that some of it was leaking into reality until a hand rested gently on his shoulder, giving him a small shake.

"Gords? Gordon, wake up, kid. Think you're having a nightmare, come back to me." John's reassuring voice cut through the torment of his mind, and Gordon's eyes opened.

"Hey you. That's it, deep breaths, you're awake now..." As John set up a stream of calming noises, helping him sit up by raising the bed, Gordon couldn't help but feel confused. They had always noticed before when it was the Hood in control, why was this time any different? Why didn't John know that it was not his brother looking back at him?

"_I told you, you are mine. I control what they see now, unlike before. The only sign he will get is when I decide to show him one."_

Gordon opened his mouth to warn John, to say something that would make his brother realise that something was wrong.

"Can I have a drink?"

Gordon started in surprise. That was not what he had been going to say, and he could only watch hopelessly as John smiled, turning away to fetch him one. The second the blond's back was turned, Gordon's eyes turned on the restraints holding him down. He could practically feel the burn of power behind his eyes and knew they were pulsing. The strap around his far arm snapped. As John came back again and repeated Virgil's actions by helping him drink, Gordon tried to draw attention to it. But the angle they were at meant his own body was shielding his wrist from John's view. Feeling a bolt of panic, Gordon realised that his brother had no idea that he was half-free - and that he had no way of telling him.

"_Accepting the truth, are we?"_

"_You know that I will never stop fighting you."_

_"Very well."_

Gordon didn't have any time to think about what the Hood was threatening until a fierce stab of pain made him wince. He felt like it should be bringing tears to his eyes it was so intense, and yet found that his mouth was laughing.

"What?" There was a faint smile on John's face even as he put the glass to one side. Gordon so desperately wanted to yell at him to look closer, that he wasn't really laughing but inwardly crying.

"Just that I really thought he would have won. Guess you guys are right, I will always beat him."

"_No! What are you doing?"_

"_I told you, this is the end of your family and of International Rescue. The mind games have gone on long enough and my brother's interference has made me angry. This finishes, today. And how nice of you to throw everyone else out, leaving just the one..."  
_

"_JOHN! Don't you dare hurt him!"_

_"Silence." _

Gordon groaned as something seemed to flash around his mind, making him gasp. Thinking straight had certainly just become a challenge, but he was vaguely aware of John turning to face him, his smile slipping and a frown taking its place. Somehow, Gordon had managed to gasp out loud and as John stared intently at him, Gordon willed his brother to realise that something was wrong and to get out. It might have been Alan who he had always been closest to whilst growing up, but it had been John who had been able to see through him whenever he had been upset but denying that anything was wrong. His brother was subjecting him to the same look now, and Gordon knew what he had to do. He threw everything he had at the Hood, causing the man to snarl.

The pain was crippling, the whole room was blacking out as the Hood drove another assault on his mind. But once again, the pain that he was in inside his own mind managed to make itself known outside. John's eyes widened and he backed up.

"_You'll pay for this!"_ the Hood snarled, seeming to realise that his plan was going wrong and that his intended victim had realised that something was wrong. All pretence was dropped as the Hood's eyes flashed and broke the second strap. Gordon could feel himself standing up, could see John's eyes darting between the door, his watch and his younger brother, clearly trying to work out what was his best option. Inwardly begging his brother just to run, to get as far away as possible, Gordon felt himself walk a few steps closer.

Only then did he realise what the Hood was planning, what he was going to do. Whenever the others had been hurt, Gordon hadn't been aware of what was going on, effectively blacking out whilst the Hood took over. But his control seemed almost absolute right now, and he was going to make Gordon watch whatever it was he was about to do.

"Jo-hn..." Gordon managed to grunt out, although he had a horrible feeling it was because the maniac was letting him rather than Gordon properly overcoming him.

"Gordon?"

"_Guess again."_

"Let him go!" John took a step forward, his hand drifting down and heading towards his watch. The movement was subtle, but Gordon saw it, meaning that he knew the Hood had seen it as well.

"_No! Please, just leave him out of this, I'll get him to go!"_

"_You know..." _The Hood wasn't addressing Gordon this time, but still keeping his focus fixed on the older brother. "..._Gordon really is annoying, isn't he?"_

"He's a far better man than anyone like you would ever realise. Get out of him right now, or..."

"_Or what, Johnny? You'll call for your big brother? That's not being very nice now, is it? I only want to play."_

John's hand shot to his watch, but before he had time to do anything, the Hood's eyes flashed. Gordon felt himself step neatly to one side as John was thrown forward. His chest hit the bed and he slipped onto the floor, gasping as he did so. Gordon stepped up next to him. Bending down, he grabbed John's wrist – the opposite one to his watch – and yanked it up. John gasped with pain as he almost hit the bed again with the movement and struggled desperately, but it didn't do any good as the Hood strapped the restraints around it. John tried to get up, but then realised that given the angle the movement forced his arm into, it was not a good idea.

"_No, please..!"_

Knowing he was stuck, John lifted his other arm. It meant that his weight was basically hanging awkwardly off his strapped-down arm, but that didn't stop him. Moving was difficult, yet he managed to line his arm up in order to still be able to press his watch's emergency button. The Hood watched him do so, waiting until John's fingers were clumsily ghosting against the button before moving.

Almost gently, he reached out and took John's free arm in one of Gordon's hands. The grip was firm, not that tight. Drawing it away from the bed, the Hood didn't relinquish the hold in the slightest even as John tried to pull away. The position he was trapped in, however, meant that John couldn't get a grip on anything in order to put any force behind his movements and he was stuck, just struggling weakly.

"_Beg."_

"Never."

"_Please, just let him go. I'll get you the technology, I'll get you whatever you want. Let him go."_

John might have had the defiance still burning brightly in him, but Gordon was too far gone. He could see what the man was planning even as he began to gently move John's wrist. His hand was locked over the watch, causing the small piece of machinery to dig into John's wrist. It must have hurt like hell considering Gordon could already see blood begin to well to the surface, but John didn't so much as flinch as he stared back, anger blazing out of his usually calm eyes.

"_I told you this finished today."_ This time, the Hood was addressing both brothers and John's eyes widened a little as he realised that Gordon was somehow witnessing the whole thing. He gritted his teeth against the way that his arm was slowly being bent back, staring into Gordon's eyes. But he could only see the coldness and anger of the Hood staring back, no hint of his brother. Considering Gordon had seemed somewhat in control the first time he had woken up, John just had to assume that the Hood had somehow claimed that control back whilst his brother had been resting.

In his own mind, Gordon was grappling desperately, determined to gain some sort of control even as John finally let out a small gasp as his wrist continued to be bent back.

"_And I stand by what I say."_

"_NO!"_

With one fluid motion, the Hood jerked Gordon's arm back. John let out a short scream as his wrist suddenly snapped, the Hood letting go and allowing it to fall back to the floor. Without the other arm to support it, the blond could do nothing as it hit the floor, causing him to almost pass out as the pain lanced through his arm. Breathing heavily, he glared up at the Hood, agony taking the place of anger. Shifting, he managed to cradle his arm in his lap, the other arm twisting frantically as he tried to find a way to free himself.

"John?"

Gordon nearly cried with relief at hearing Scott's voice from outside the door, especially as he felt the Hood ripple with annoyance. Quick as lighting, he closed the distance between where he was standing and John. Pushing the blond back against the bed, he pinned him there as he placed a firm hand over John's mouth, keeping him quiet. His eyes flashed as he locked the door.

After a pause, Scott's confused voice could be heard as he tried to get in and found that he couldn't.

"_And now to destroy the elder..." _the Hood whispered, malice in his voice and his eyes almost glinting with joy.

Gordon fought back with everything that he had, but he could feel that he was doing nothing. The Hood had had days to perfect his control over his mind; there was nothing Gordon could do. All the reassurances that his brothers and father had told him about being stronger, none of them were true. He wasn't stronger... and now his brother was paying the price for it.

"_I have waited a long time for this," _the Hood whispered, locking eyes with John even as he kept his hand over his mouth. Very slowly, he drew back his foot and kicked John's broken wrist lightly. Although the tap was light, John wasn't able to stop the yell from tearing out of him, muffled by his brother's hand.

It was enough for Scott to throw everything at the door, and it was only then Gordon truly understood. The Hood finally knew how to kill Scott. Hearing a brother in agony and knowing that something was wrong by the way the noise was coming out muffled would have been killing him, but to then not be able to get to said brother's side...

John wasn't done yet though. As hard as he could, he bit down on Gordon's hand, causing the Hood to snarl as he pulled back. Hearing the door rattle – a clear sign that Scott was getting close to breaking through - he drew back an arm. Using the flat of his hand, he brought it sharply down on the back of John's neck. Instantly, the astronaut slumped against the bed, out cold.

Even struggling desperately, Gordon knew there was nothing he could do as Scott finally burst through the door.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you so much for all of the lovely reviews, especially to Whirlgirl who I can't respond directly to. Your reviews always put such a smile on my face, thank you. I think the only thing I can say about this chapter is that Virgil took me by surprise! Enjoy!**

Wincing as his battered body broke through the door, Scott skidded to a halt the second he was inside. His breath caught slightly as he took in the scene in front of him. Gordon was standing, directly beside his own bed, but that wasn't what had Scott frowning. Even from across the room, he could feel the cold weight of his brother's stare and knew that he was once more dealing with the Hood. Scott was never one to admit to nerves, but considering he had been left in an unconscious heap the last time he had gone against the maniac, he had a feeling he wasn't going to come off the victor this time either.

But then those nerves turned into full blown fear as he caught sight of a hand. He couldn't see John from where he was; the bed was shielding his brother from him. Looking in that direction, though, he could make out his brother's wrist suspended in the restraints. Although the sight caused anger to ripple to the surface in the oldest brother, it wasn't that as such which was making Scott's heart pound uncomfortably hard. He had heard John's yell, heard the way that something seemed to be muffling the noise. Yet now, it was quite apparent that he was motionless, not struggling against the restraints in the slightest.

"What have you done to him?" Scott snarled, stepping forward and letting his eyes return to Gordon. _No,_ he told himself firmly even as he took another step. _The Hood._ Scott knew that he had to focus on the fact that it was his enemy in front of him. He knew Gordon, knew that his little brother wouldn't mind what happened to him physically if it meant the creep was being stopped. Scott knew enough about Gordon's pain threshold to know that he could take anything Scott delivered, but that was the bigger worry. He wasn't sure if he would even be able to get close enough, not considering the way that the Hood had thrown him around before.

"_Why don't you see for yourself?" _The Hood's voice was mocking as he spread his arms invitingly, taking a step backwards in a clear gesture that he was going to let Scott approach. The Field Commander hesitated, wondering if it was some sort of trick, but then his concern over the fact John had yet to move took over. Keeping his eyes locked on Gordon, he tentatively moved forward, every inch of him tense and ready to spring into action if the man made any attempt to hurt his brothers - _either_ of them - again. The Hood didn't do anything, though, just took another step backwards, almost as if to give Scott some space. The smirk on his face made Scott want to just punch him, and he wondered whether the man knew how that expression – even when it was actually Gordon who had pulled it – always wound him up. Making sure he kept his eyes locked on the Hood, he subtly let his hands drift behind him and hit the emergency button on his watch. His need to protect the rest of the family was overcome by the fact he knew he couldn't do this alone.

The thoughts, however, were driven from his mind as he finally got a visual on John. Gasping, Scott dropped to his knees, letting his hand come to rest against John's neck. Feeling the steady pulse there, Scott forced himself to calm down as he realised that his brother was alive, clearly just unconscious. His hand remained there in a comforting gesture as he rocked back on his heels slightly, eyes scanning the blond's prone form. The anger rippled to the surface once again. John's wrist was clearly broken, and judging by the way it was resting on the floor, Scott had a feeling it was bad. His brother's eyes were closed and his face pale. Scott had seen many things as Field Commander, a lot of them things he wished he'd never seen, and this told him enough. The angle of John's body meant he had been tense when he had lost consciousness and, judging by the smirk on Gordon's face, John hadn't passed out from the pain of his wrist (which Scott was sure most men would have done), he had been knocked out.

"Fighting to the very end, eh, kid?" he whispered softly to John, his hand reaching up to cradle his head slightly as he moved it into a more comfortable position. Certain that he could at least save his brother from a crick in the neck when he awakened, Scott moved his hand up to the restraint. His fingers had just brushed across the leather when a crippling wave of pain shot through him, causing him to wince.

_"I think Johnny can stay where he is, don't you?"_

Biting his lip, Scott shook his head. Ignoring the way his hand was now trembling slightly, he returned to the strap, gripping onto the leather as a way of grounding himself as the Hood sent another wave of pain towards him.

"_Enough." _

Scott continued to ignore him, swallowing hard and beginning to tease the buckle free. John moaned slightly with the movement, and Scott found he wasn't sure if he wanted his brother to wake up or not. At least unconscious, John wouldn't be able to feel the pain in his wrist or witness the cold look in Gordon's eyes any more than he already had.

"_I said enough!"_

It wasn't just a wave of pain this time; Scott was thrown bodily back from the bed. Crashing into a trolley, the Field Commander managed to tip the whole thing over with a clatter as he fell, and part of him hoped that someone had heard it. There was no way he could do this on his own, he was sure about that. Immediately sitting up where he had landed, Scott glared. The Hood turned his burning gaze onto the door while Scott was making it into an upright position and the lock clicked, sealing them in. Scott knew that the creep had somehow known he had called for help and wasn't going to make it that easy.

"What do you want this time? To kill me? At least leave my brothers out of this."

"_But Gordon's enjoying the show so much. Aren't you?"_

Gordon suddenly gave a cry of pain and sank to his knees, his breath coming in short gasps. Scott froze. The Hood had used his younger brother against him more than once since this had begun, and it hadn't ended well for him. But it was so hard not to just run forward when he caught sight of the tears streaming down his brother's face as Gordon's hands rose to clutch at his head. Deciding it was worth the risk, Scott scrambled up, intending to move forward. He didn't even make it a step before he was flung back again. Wincing once more as he landed in the mess that he himself had just created, Scott realised that he was frozen in position, literally, as Gordon gave another cry, almost doubling over on himself. It was only then that Scott understood. The Hood hadn't just been making a throwaway comment about Gordon witnessing what was happening, he had meant it. He was attacking Gordon just as much as he had attacked John and now Scott.

"Leave him alone!" Struggling against the Hood's hold on him, Scott gritted his teeth as he tried everything he could to get closer to Gordon, or at least get the Hood's attention away from his brother. Gordon made to cry out again, but seemed to catch himself this time, and it just ended in a sharp gasp instead.

"Stop it!" Scott growled. He had never been one to sit back and do nothing when his brothers needed his help, and being made to watch when he had one unconscious and the other in agony was making him hurt more than he thought was possible.

The Hood looked up, Gordon's face seeming to go slack as the maniac took control once more.

"_Who said I needed to act physically in order to kill you?"_

Realising that the man had only been hurting Gordon in order to get to him made Scott yell. Fury overtook the pain and Scott wrenched his whole body. It was almost as if he had become numbed to the physical pain that his body had been protesting about and could now only focus on the anger. That anger seemed to be stronger than the pain, and Scott felt himself shift. As soon as he moved the smallest fraction, the Hood stumbled back as if he had been physically struck. Scott found himself grinning, a feral look that made him look positively alarming considering the anger burning out of his eyes as he managed to shift himself again. This time, Gordon was forced to put a hand out to balance himself on the bed as the Hood stumbled again.

The third time Scott managed to move, he didn't just shift. He somehow managed to completely wrench himself free of the Hood's hold. Gordon's body hit the floor as Scott sprang to his feet, and the pilot closed the distance between them within seconds. He grabbed Gordon by the shirt and lifted him to his feet. But then he froze. Despite his previous thoughts about it being the Hood and not Gordon, he still couldn't bring himself to physically strike out at his little brother.

"_Not strong enough, are you, Scotty?" _

Scott growled and tightened his hold, but couldn't do anything else.

"_Weren't strong enough to get through the door in order to save Johnny over there. You should have heard him beg, knowing that no one was going to come and save him. He always was the weaker physically, and he fell to his little brother. How humiliating for him..."_

"Stop it!"

"_Just weren't strong enough as I snapped his wrist like you snap a twig. What makes you think that you can ever stop me, Scott Tracy?" _Despite the mocking beginning to his sentence, the Hood's voice had morphed into an icy tone by the end. Whilst Scott might not have wanted to strike at Gordon, the Hood had no such qualms and made Gordon's leg move, kicking his brother hard and causing Scott to let go as he stumbled back. The Hood clearly thought that he was back in control now and calmly straightened out Gordon's shirt. As Scott tried to move forward again, he was stopped by flashing eyes. Rather than being thrown to the floor, Scott found himself hitting the opposite wall before he even realised that he had moved. A wave of pain caused the room to spin alarmingly for a moment as his injured ribs strongly protested what was happening to them. When his vision cleared again, Scott knew that no amount of struggling was going to break the man's hold on him this time.

"Don't think you can ever overcome us!"

"_I already have, Scott."_ The Hood almost looked sorrowful as he walked Gordon over to the far end of the room and pulled open a drawer. His hand reached in, but due to the angle, Scott couldn't see what he was drawing out of it. "_What's the saying? United you are stronger? Unless, of course, you are a Tracy. Then the opposite is true; you are each others' weaknesses and it is so easy. Pull on one thread and the whole rug comes unravelled."_

Despite knowing that it wouldn't work, Scott found himself trying to struggle. He couldn't just stand there and let the Hood talk about destroying his family like this.

"_And imagine what Alan will find when he comes home: only one brother left standing. He'll come running to Gordon, distraught and unable to see what is in front of him, and his most trusted brother will simply snap his neck."_

"Shut. UP!" Scott yelled, banishing the images that were beginning to swim in his mind. The Hood finally turned back around, and Scott's breath hitched in his throat.

"How-?"

There was a long, gleaming knife in the Hood's hand. But what the hell was it even doing in the infirmary?

"_Do you think I don't plan ahead, Scotty?" _The mocking note was back in his voice now as the Hood crossed the room, coming to a stop in front of the restrained man and almost casually placing the knife along Scott's throat. "_I knew Gordon wouldn't be able to hide me for long and that we would end up in here. I put this in place the first night I was on your pitiful island. Unlike you, I understand my enemy. Unlike you, I know how to defeat him."_ The knife pressed in closer and Scott swallowed, not able to pull his head back even slightly.

There was a deadly silence in the room as the two looked into each other's eyes, coldness and hatred burning in one set, and anger and desperation in the other as the knife was held steadily at Scott's throat.

"Gords?" Scott whispered, a small plea for his brother to take control once more. The Hood smirked, his lip curling unpleasantly as he finally drew back the knife, his arm raised, his grip changing slightly. Having been through military training, Scott knew what the Hood was planning to do. Slitting his throat wasn't going to be enough, probably being too quick for the man. He was going to drive the knife in. Thankful that his body couldn't betray him and flinch away, Scott met his gaze head on, acceptance in his eyes. He knew that struggling would give the Hood what he wanted, not to mention it wouldn't get him anywhere considering he still couldn't move. His eyes flickered to John, and the oldest brother was just thankful the blond was still unconscious and so wouldn't have to watch this.

"Sorry, guys," he muttered, looking straight over the Hood's shoulder and staring at the opposite wall even as he saw the knife begin to race towards him. There was no way he was going to let the Hood's satisfied look be the last thing that he saw.

"NO!"

Scott blinked. He hadn't seen or heard Virgil enter the room, but suddenly there was a blur of movement and a tangle of limbs in front of him. Gordon was bowled over as his older brother came out of nowhere, slamming his shoulder into the redhead and forcibly pushing him away from Scott. The pilot had a strange ringing in his ears that he supposed was just from adrenaline as he watched the two of them fighting furiously on the floor. As had happened with him earlier, he supposed Virgil's anger was masking the pain from his ankle. He could feel the Hood's hold on him beginning to weaken, but not yet allowing him to move. Virgil had clearly taken the Hood by surprise enough that the man couldn't exert his control over the artist and every blow Virgil delivered, Scott knew the hold over him was weakening.

Then a worrying thought managed to lodge itself in his head.

He hadn't heard the knife fall.

"Virg..." Scott opened his mouth to warn his brother, to give him a clue that the weapon could still potentially be in the Hood's hands. But then he looked down just as the Hood's hold on him snapped. Scott didn't have time to support himself as he fell to his knees, wincing as he did so. The fighting was just a blur of noise in front of him; he couldn't make anything out properly. He didn't see Virgil delivering a blow that knocked Gordon out, sending the Hood back under at the same time, then turning triumphantly to him. He didn't see Virgil's face morph from relief into sheer horror.

Instead, Scott was trying to force his blood soaked hands to stop trembling as he closed them around the hilt of the knife and let out a long groan as he did so, one hand automatically pressing over the wound. He looked up for long enough to see Virgil frozen, face pale and fear in his eyes, his gaze locked onto his brother's stomach.

Virgil audibly swallowed as he lifted his eyes to look Scott in the eye.

Scott managed a weak smile.

Then the knife did finally clatter to the floor as the pilot pitched forward, blackness taking over his vision as he was dragged under. He didn't feel himself hit the floor, didn't hear John beginning to stir or see Virgil diving forward. He was already being claimed by the deep levels of unconsciousness as his hand fell away from the wound, allowing the blood to pool across the infirmary floor.

TBTBTB

The infirmary was the very definition of chaos. Jeff had John on one bed, having proved Virgil wrong by showing that he did know some of the same first aid as his sons and doing a sufficient enough job of supporting John's arm until they could get it properly x-rayed and cast. John had regained consciousness for a brief time, but had soon passed out again. The blow to the back of his neck was not as bad as it might have been, but Virgil had insisted on keeping ice on it for the time being to make sure there was no swelling that could potentially cause problems to his airways. Jeff hadn't been given a choice, but was firmly told to look after John by a surprisingly steady-voiced Brains. It kept him out of the way for Scott.

Despite the blood that had pooled everywhere, Virgil had managed to get his brother turned over and pressure applied before screaming for help, jabbing the button on his watch so many times he thought it might have got stuck at one point. The sheer number of times the emergency signal had been pressed had meant Jeff and Brains had gone sprinting for the infirmary. Both had already been travelling that way after Scott's call for help, but Virgil's signal caused fear to lend them speed. Kyrano had turned up just as they had managed to get Scott on the bed, swiftly untying John.

But then the Malaysian had moved off to the side, dragging Gordon out of the way and sitting with him on the other side of the room. No one had questioned it – if anyone could control the Hood when Gordon came back around, it would be Kyrano. Someone needed to watch over Gordon, but no one else could be spared now Scott was in a fight for his life and John was unconscious. It just meant that they had to rely on Kyrano to keep Gordon down. After a long look at Gordon, Jeff had sighed and instructed Kyrano to remove the man's watch. He didn't want the Hood to have access to anything that could be used against them when Gordon came back around again. Not to mention that Kyranos' medical knowledge barely touched on the amount Virgil and Brains had, and like Jeff, he would simply be in the way.

"BP's still too low..."

"S...same with heart rate."

It always amazed Virgil how steady Brains could sound when there was an emergency, but right now, he didn't really have the chance to think about it, not when he was covered in Scott's blood and fighting to make sure that his brother would live. Brains had been forced to take over the examination when it had come to assessing what damage had truly been done, but after throwing up in the toilet quite spectacularly as that had been taking place, Virgil had managed to get himself back together in order to help.

They had been lucky. Brains had announced that the knife had missed any organs – vital or otherwise - thanks to Virgil's interruption. The stab wound hadn't been as deep as it could have been either; somehow the angle of entrance had been wrong and there hadn't been enough power behind it to do the damage that would have occurred if the Hood had been able to properly carry out his plan. But the damage was still bad enough, especially since Scott had already been injured.

"We need to g...get these rates up," Brains muttered, receiving a terse nod from Virgil as the man fussed around with a dressing.

"You hear that, you selfish bastard?" Virgil said to Scott, regardless of the fact that it was going to be a one-sided conversation. "Stop being such a stubborn idiot and start getting your heart rate rising again, because so help me if you go and die, I'm going to bring you back just to kill you myself. You just couldn't let me be the hero for once, could you? No, you had to get yourself stabbed!"

"Virgil..."

The artist, however, was too far gone in his anger at the whole situation to hear his father's calming voice, even if it was taking all of Jeff's self restraint not to cross the room to see Scott himself. As much as it was killing him to sit there with a motionless son, he knew it was where they needed him to be. John would need someone if he woke up, and Jeff could do nothing but get in the way if he tried to help Brains and Virgil.

Virgil simply glared at the unconscious and battered form of his oldest brother. Scott was an easy person to yell at when he was like this, for he couldn't argue back. But in a way, Virgil wanted a fight. He wanted someone to yell back at him, someone that he could just then scream at as a way of voicing his frustration and fear over the whole situation. They had thought they had helped Gordon overcome the Hood, that they were actually getting somewhere for once. But just like every other time, they had been proved completely and utterly wrong, and that mistake could potentially be costing Scott his life. Virgil had already spent five minutes trying to get through the locked door while listening to the fight going on inside. When silence had fallen, terror had gripped at his heart and lent him strength. He still didn't know how he had got through the door, but one sharp kick had forced it open. Now he couldn't get the image of Scott pulling the bloodied knife from his own body out of his head. Instead, he was forced to relive it as though it was on repeat even as he helped Brains dress the wound in his brother's stomach.

"That's another thing, you jerk. Why the hell did you pull it out? You know basic training; you would have bled to death if I hadn't been there. But you just knew that I would be there to save your sorry ass once again, didn't you? Always relying on me to pick up the pieces whilst you go and do whatever you want just because there is no one to tell you not to. I don't care if you are our commander - our big brother - any more, Scott. I'm telling you what to do right now, and that is live, you damn moron! Live!"

"They're still dropping," Brains muttered, shifting uncomfortably at the tirade coming from his friend. Scott wasn't in immediate danger, but neither was he stabilised just yet, not until they got his heart rate settled.

"Friggin' hell, Scott, stop being a stubborn jerk!"

Brains blinked, wiping his glasses before blinking again. Then he smiled, even if Virgil's final shout had made him jump more than he thought was possible. He had never seen him like this, and yet he had helped Virgil treat his brothers more than once in the past.

"They're rising again."

"So now you decide to listen? First time for everything, I suppose. If you dare do this to me again, I'm giving One a paintjob, ya hear? And telling John who ate the last of the cookies the last time he was dirt-side. Don't do this, Scott, it's not fair on me, blood red is so not my colour."

"Still rising."

"Keep talking to him, Virg." Jeff couldn't help but have a small smile on his face despite the fact that three of his sons were unconscious. If there was anyone who could bring Scott back from the brink of death, it would be Virgil. Brains seemed to have relaxed compared to how he had been when they had first entered the room, and the father knew that somehow, Scott was going to be alright. Well, maybe not alright, but he was going to live. If there was any other possibility, Virgil would not be yelling at him.

"Talking to him? I'm not ever talking to him again! He is a selfish, stubborn moron who just had to go and save the day and get himself almost killed in the process. Why do I always have to be the one to save you, Scotty? Why am I always patching you back up again?"

But the heat had gone from Virgil's tone and his voice cracked slightly at his last sentence. Brains looked around, caught Jeff's eye and nodded. Scott had stabilised. His younger brother, however, had not. Jeff sighed, brushing his fingers through John's hair and standing up. In a few steps, he had crossed the infirmary.

"Virg..."

"Why do I always have to save your life?" Virgil whispered, going slightly pale as he simply stared down at Scott. Jeff could tell that his son was beginning to favour one leg again. The adrenaline rush of both the fight against Gordon and then the fight to save Scott was beginning to wear off. Now that he was coming down from it, his anger and frustration were also ebbing away, leaving him feeling every injury he had sustained.

"Come on, we need to clean you up," Jeff murmured softly, wrapping an arm around Virgil's shoulders and trying to lead him away. Virgil stood his ground though, and Jeff reversed his previous look and glanced at Brains, who nodded.

"Rates s...stabilised. He'll b...be f...fine."

Jeff couldn't help but wonder whether it was Brains' words that caused Virgil to suddenly sag, or the fact that his stutter had returned. There was no way Brains would be lying now; it was more than obvious he wasn't on the same edge as he had been before. Jeff put more pressure into his arm and Virgil followed this time, allowing himself to be led from the room. He had gone quiet, and Jeff saw a wide-eyed look that he hadn't noticed before. Virgil almost seemed to be in a state of shock, and considering all of his brothers on the island were out cold, Jeff wasn't surprised. He didn't say anything as he led Virgil into the kitchen, sitting him down on one of the stools. Leaving him there, he flicked the coffee machine on and set about running a bowl of warm water.

When he had it ready, Jeff crouched in front of his son, the bowl resting by his feet. Dipping a cloth in, he gently began to wipe the blood off Virgil's hands, the same way he had patched him up when Virgil was just a child and had scuffed his palms after falling over. Unlike that time all those years ago, his son didn't struggle against him, but sat there mutely, staring into space as his father cleaned him up. But despite knowing that he was grown up now and had been the one to save Scott's life -and potentially John's - in the long run by reaching the infirmary when he did, the father found that he was murmuring soothing nonsense as he tried to coax Virgil into relaxing.

Finally satisfied he could do no more, Jeff tipped the water away, poured out the coffee and took a seat opposite Virgil, slipping a mug into the artist's hand. For a long moment, it seemed like Virgil hadn't even noticed before his fingers eventually curled around the cup and he shifted until he was all but cradling it, leaning back on the wall and shutting his eyes in exhaustion.

"The games are over," he eventually muttered, not opening his eyes again. Jeff inwardly shuddered. He had seen his sons look disturbed and upset after a disastrous rescue more than once, each attempting to hide it and yet at the same time showing their emotions in different ways. Yet never had he heard Virgil sound so tired, so worn out by the constant fight that had been taking place over the last couple of days.

"What do you mean?"

"He was going in for the kill. There was no way that was done just to keep Scott out of the way; the Hood was trying to kill him. Considering how long it looks like John was out for as well, it was lucky that blow to his neck didn't kill him. His wrist is practically shattered, Dad. I have no idea how he did it with his bare hands. _Gordon's_ bare hands."

"Virg, I..." Jeff wasn't even sure what he was going to say, yet knew that it was up to him to do something. But if he was honest, he didn't know what. He couldn't offer his son false reassurances as he would have normally, not when he didn't believe them himself. Like Virgil, he too had thought that they were getting somewhere with Gordon, but had been proven wrong once more. Nothing they were trying was working. Despite what they had been telling the youngest member of the family left on the island, it was clear that Gordon couldn't overcome the Hood.

Some of his thoughts must have been reflected in his tone of voice for Virgil suddenly opened his eyes.

"Gords can't do it, can he?"

Jeff opened his mouth, automatically making to jump to Gordon's defence. But then he sighed, snapping it shut again and shaking his head sadly.

"I don't think he can, Virg."

"So how the hell do we stop the Hood?"

"I honestly don't know. Right now, we have to make sure that Scott pulls through from this and John wakes up again."

"But then..?"

Jeff nearly snapped at Virgil in the same way that his son had yelled at Scott. But just in time, he managed to catch himself, knowing that despite his exhaustion, Virgil was still too wound up to be able to brush the words off. The father couldn't help it, though, he had never not known what to do in order to help his sons. Yet this time, he didn't even know where to begin, not when everything they had already tried had backfired. Sighing, he caught sight of Virgil glancing towards the kitchen door, fidgeting slightly now that he was beginning to calm down a little.

"I don't know. But come on, let's get back to them."

It came as no surprise when Virgil didn't argue, but just slipped from his seat.


	15. Chapter 15

**Well, this is it, guys. The final chapter. Thank you so much to those of you who have stuck with me through this and your feedback the whole way through has meant the world to me.**

**Bee, thank you so much once again! If it weren't for you, I would still have people seeing with their eyes shut. I couldn't do it without you and I know how hard this one has been (well, for both of us...)**

**Hope you like the final chapter.**

It was dark when Gordon opened his eyes. Something in him felt shattered, as if something had cracked, then all but exploded when pressure had been applied to that crack. Groaning, he shifted slightly, blinking as he looked about him. Outside the window, there was only darkness, the light pattering of rain showing that a storm was beginning to come in. But soft lights lit the infirmary, illuminating the scene within. Realising he was shaking, Gordon froze, diving into himself in order to work out just how much control he had. Things seemed at peace within him, but he knew not to be fooled. No doubt the Hood was just letting him take control for a short amount of time so that he could witness the damage that he had caused. It had been bad enough seeing it as it happened, but Gordon wasn't sure whether he could take the aftermath or not.

Satisfied that it was only him present at this moment in time, Gordon rolled his head to the side, looking around him properly as he did so. The restraints were wrapped around his wrists again, securing him to the bed but his legs had been left free. Something felt off about his wrist other than the restraint, however, and glancing down, it didn't take him a second to realise what it was. His watch was gone. John was over on the far side of the room, his arm clearly having been set at some point if the cast was anything to go by. He seemed to be resting peacefully, something that was a great relief to his younger brother. At least if John could rest, he wouldn't be in pain; he wouldn't have to face Gordon.

"It's a sedative, before you ask."

An exhausted voice made Gordon jump. His head swivelled to locate where the noise was coming from, only to feel his breath hitch in his throat. For a moment, he barely even registered Virgil's presence, his eyes locked on his biggest brother. Even from this distance, Scott was pale, a thick wad of bandages wrapped firmly around his otherwise bare torso, the smallest pinprick of red showing through all the layers indicating that the blood flow was only just being stemmed. His face looked almost ghostly, not helped by the way he seemed to be wired up to all of the machinery, and his eyes were shut. Gordon couldn't tell whether he was unconscious or simply sleeping, but had a horrible feeling it was the former just by Virgil's body language.

The artist was slumped in a chair by his brother's bedside, the huge black circles which shadowed his red-rimmed eyes betraying his exhaustion. His elbows were resting on Scott's bed, but whilst his head might have initially been propped up by them, the effort of sitting up had clearly got too much. Instead, his head was also resting on the bed, although he did turn slightly at hearing Gordon's movement. His gaze flickered questioningly over his little brother and Gordon shrugged in response. It was him for now, although he had no idea how long that was going to last. It could be hours, or seconds.

Virgil seemed to watch him for a long moment, biting his lip and clearly trying to come to a decision. Gordon watched as Virgil glanced towards his watch, obviously working out whether he should call for back up or not.

"It's me for now, Virg." Gordon whispered, holding his brother's gaze as Virgil seemed to search his eyes. Virgil stared at him for a while before sighed.

"Dad needs his rest," he murmured, wearily pushing his chair back towards the bed. Gordon flinched, but Virgil simply unstrapped him.

"Why..?"

"The others are resting. If it is you, I might need your help and I don't have time to free you later. If you…well, you know, feel him, let me know?" Gordon nodded, hearing past the light-hearted note in Virgil's voice and knowing his brother was worried. Not that Gordon could blame him, but he did truly feel like it was him in control this time. Virgil moved back towards Scott, once again studying his big brother and Gordon sat up. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and made it into a standing position, glancing across the infirmary.

Virgil seemed to sense where he was looking, turning towards John himself.

"I couldn't get him comfortable, even with the painkillers. His wrist is broken in two places and there is a hairline fracture up his arm. But he couldn't get comfortable on his back either because of the blow to his neck, so Brains suggested a sedative. Johnny protested, so I told him it was pain relief. He wanted to be with Scott." There wasn't a hint of accusation towards Gordon as Virgil spoke, and it was that which made Gordon just want to break down and cry. He wanted his brothers to hate him, to yell at him for not being stronger, for not being able to hold the Hood back for longer, for not getting out as soon as he felt the control slip.

But they didn't. There almost seemed to be sorrow in Virgil's eyes that had nothing to do with the state of his older brothers. He was regretting the condition that his younger was in, that he couldn't just go and patch Gordon up the way he could with the elder ones. Gordon was hurting just as much as John had been, and there was nothing that Virgil could do. They had tried sedating him before, and it had just made the Hood come back stronger.

Keeping his distance, Gordon refused to meet Virgil's eyes. "And Scott?"

"He's a fighter, when he listens." A ghost of a smile flitted momentarily across Virgil's face as he forced his aching body up from the bed and straightened the covers, making sure that he didn't touch any of the wires that were helping him monitor his big brother.

Gordon swallowed, knowing that hadn't truly answered the question. Virgil, however, seemed to know what he was thinking as he glanced once more over his shoulder at his brother.

"Brains says he'll be fine."

Sitting back down on his own bed rather suddenly, Gordon didn't say anything as the whole room spun rather alarmingly around him as the rush of relief came crashing through. Once again, his brothers had proved stronger than the Hood; they were going to be alright. But what about next time..?

"Gords?" Virgil had moved by the time Gordon found himself able to focus again, taking a few steps towards him even as Gordon looked up. Almost frantically, the redhead shook his head, ignoring the way it drove stabbing pains into his head once more and made him wince despite himself. Clearly ignoring his brother's plea, Virgil continued to move forward, and Gordon forcibly pushed himself back, scooting across the bed until he hit the wall behind him. Virgil paused, then frowned and took yet another step.

"No..." Gordon all but whimpered, pulling his legs up to his chest and making himself as small as possible. Virgil froze, swallowing hard at the clear anguish he could hear in his little brother's voice.

"Gordy, it's okay, it's you, right?"

"Not sure how long. Please, don't, stay away... don't want to hurt anyone else, stay back..."

"You're not going to hurt me, Gordon."

"No!" Gordon couldn't go any further back, but that didn't stop him from pressing himself against the wall. Virgil finally stopped, holding his hands out calmingly.

"Okay, okay, I'm not coming any closer." Reaching behind him, Virgil spun his chair around and sat down facing Gordon, even if his brother did see the way he gave Scott a longing look. That was sign enough that the pilot had yet to regain consciousness; everything in Virgil's expression showed that he was longing for his brother to wake up.

"So... how are you feeling? How's your head?"

"Fine," Gordon mumbled, glaring down at his knees and refusing to meet Virgil's eyes. What right did he have to his brother's sympathy? He knew that it hadn't been him in control, but he had still been aware of what was happening. He had still felt the knife in his hand, he had still felt it sink into Scott's stomach as he was pushed over, realising that neither of his elder brothers had noticed. He had tried to warn them, tried to do something, but the Hood had only laughed cruelly as Virgil had knocked them out, not giving him the chance to say anything. He was just sent into the blackness hoping that Virgil turned around in time.

To his surprise, Virgil gave a soft laugh, and when Gordon dared to glance up, there was a gentle smile on his face.

"You know that you have never been able to lie to me, right?"

"Go away, please." The urge to cry was back again, and Gordon was struggling to stop himself from running from the room. He knew that he had to get away, had to be somewhere where he wouldn't be able to hurt any of the others. But if he were to run now, he knew that Virgil would follow. He didn't want Virgil anywhere isolated, not considering he knew that the only reason why Scott was still alive was because Virgil had arrived in time. What would happen when their timing slipped, when they weren't quite quick enough to stop him?

"It's not your fault, Gordon. He hurt you as much as he hurt the others, I could see it in your eyes. I can help, just let me give you something for the pain."

"Will it make me drowsy?"

"Perhaps, I'm not sure. Your adrenaline levels will be through the roof right now, you might be fine."

"No."

"But..."

"No," Gordon said firmly. There was no way that he was going to let himself sleep. He knew that staying awake hadn't helped last time, but neither was he planning on just sitting there and waiting for the Hood to attack again. He had not only heard what the maniac had been saying about it all ending, he had _felt_ it. The man had truly meant what he had said: it _would_ end today.

Hearing the firm note in his brother's voice, Virgil sighed, knowing that Scott wasn't the only stubborn Tracy in the family. They were all as bad as each other, and with Gordon not letting him close, it wasn't as if he could trick him the way he had John either. A silence fell between the two brothers, and Gordon wasn't sure whether it had ever seemed so loud before. Never before had he experienced an uncomfortable silence with one of his brothers, no matter how old they were. He idly picked at his sleeve, doing everything he could to not look Virgil in the eye.

"I should tell Dad that you are awake," Virgil eventually muttered, and hit by an idea, Gordon shook his head. He had seen Virgil's earlier reluctance to wake their father up and knew he could play on that.

"Can I just go and surprise him later?" he asked quietly, realising this was perhaps his chance to get out of the infirmary and as far away as possible without Virgil following him. What he was going to do when he reached isolation, Gordon wasn't yet sure. But there was no way that he was going to let anything else happen, not if he had a say in it. They had all claimed that it wasn't his fault, yet he knew that wasn't technically true. He should have said something back at the rescue zone when he was in the sickbay, realising something felt off. He should never have gone into those tunnels alone without clearing it, he should have radioed for help... He might not have remembered the exact scene that had resulted in the Hood being in his head, but the maniac had filled in enough of the gaps for him, taking delight in showing that Gordon hadn't been strong enough to fight back. If he had said something back at the rescue, the Hood would never have got onto the island, Scott wouldn't be in a fight for his life and John wouldn't be in agony. Alan would have been able to enjoy his vacation without someone watching and threatening him, and Virgil wouldn't look like he was getting closer and closer to breaking.

Virgil never got a chance to respond. A soft moan filled the air and he swivelled so fast in his chair that Gordon thought he might have fallen off. He himself uncurled himself slightly, satisfied that Virgil wouldn't try and get closer now that another brother was stirring. Judging by how late at night it was, he knew that John would still be being kept under by the sedative. Virgil would have had to wait for him to come round, judge whether it was safe to drug him after waiting to see how he was feeling. John was going to be out for a few hours longer, meaning there was only one other person that it could be, and despite wanting to keep his distance, Gordon found that he was leaning forward in order to get a better look at Scott.

"Scott? You coming back to me there, man?"

Despite the lightness in Virgil's voice, Gordon could hear how tense he was, see how he had automatically stood up. His hands were adjusting things on the monitors even as his eyes bounced between his brother and the screens. "Come on, stop pretending and wake up, you've had enough of a rest now, you lazy ass."

Virgil was rewarded with another moan as Scott's head shifted slightly, and Gordon found that he was almost sagging in relief. Somehow, if Scott truly was going to be okay, it just seemed to make everything better in Gordon's mind. Scott had always fixed every problem, and if he refused to let this one beat him as well, then his younger brother couldn't help but think that maybe there was a flicker of hope to be found after all.

But the next noise destroyed all of that hope, crushing it ruthlessly as a high pitched beep filled the air.

"Wha-? What the hell are you doing?" Virgil was shouting even as he was reacting, slamming the bed down and pulling the pillows out from behind Scott's head, albeit it in a slightly more gentle manner. "You were fighting, you jerk. Don't do this, Scott, please!"

Gordon swallowed hard, pushing himself off the bed once more and stepping forward as Virgil prepared to force their brother's heart into restarting. He could hear the terror in Virgil's voice, could see the tears swimming in his eyes even as he attempted to force himself to think straight. Despite everything, Virgil was still fighting, still refusing to let the Hood win.

"Gordon, get Brains!"

But Gordon had frozen, watching as Virgil stood over Scott, starting compressions.

"Gordon!"

After the second yell, all of Virgil's attention was focused on their older brother. Gordon had gone to reach for his watch, and then realised it wasn't there. It wasn't there because he couldn't be trusted with it, meaning that he had no way of getting help. _He_ had done this. If it wasn't for him, Scott would be sitting inside, moaning about how he couldn't be sitting by the pool because of the rain. He wouldn't be dying on them... If only Gordon had said something, if only he had fought harder... He could have stopped this from happening. He had known the second he had woken up that the Hood had been the one in control, and yet he hadn't been able to do anything as the man used him to hurt John and then to drive the knife into Scott. He had heard Scott's plea just before Virgil had arrived, he had seen the acceptance in the man's eyes. Scott had known that there was nothing he could do and had asked Gordon for help. That mistake was practically costing him his life.

"Gotcha."

Gordon could honestly say that he had no idea how much time had passed before the intense beep settled back into a steady rhythm and Virgil collapsed back into his chair. As he moved to push his hair out of his eyes, panting slightly, Gordon could see that he was shaking. Somehow, Virgil had managed to hold it together for long enough to do what he had to in order to bring Scott back to them, but now it seemed that the immediate danger had passed, his emotions were getting the better of him. Glancing over his shoulder, his frown by no means lessened as he glanced at his younger brother.

"Gords? It's okay, he's back with us. And not going anywhere if I have anything to say about it. Seems the stubborn ass just didn't want to wake up just yet." Despite Virgil's attempt to put a light-hearted tone into his voice, Gordon could still hear the way his voice was shaking almost as much as his hands.

It was then that he knew.

Knew that he couldn't think about what would happen next time, whether one of the others would be able to get there in time to stop the couldn't think about how much damage he could potentially inflict, the Hood mocking and goading him the whole time whilst making his brothers struggle desperately against him, anger in their eyes that they didn't want to fully unleash for fear of hurting him. Gordon knew with a clarity that he found somewhat terrifying that if there was a next time, the Hood would win.

Meaning one thing...

There couldn't be a next time.

He had seen the looks in the others' eyes; they were trying so hard to believe that he could do it, that he would be able to defeat the Hood. But each time they had placed their trust in him, one of them had ended up hurt, sometimes badly. It was nothing to do with Gordon's strength of mind that someone hadn't already been killed, just sheer luck and the impeccable timing their family seemed to have. But their faith was wrongly placed. Gordon couldn't stop the Hood.

Save for one way.

"Gordon?"

"I'm fine." Trying to hitch a smile on his face to at least attempt to reassure Virgil, Gordon looked towards his brother with agonised eyes before glancing away. He was afraid that if Virgil looked at him for too long, he would be able to figure out what it was that Gordon was thinking. He had been right before: the redhead never had been any good at lying to his brother, so why should this time be any different?

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." It took a great deal of effort not to simply yell at Virgil to leave him alone, but Gordon knew what he had to do. "You know you were saying earlier about those painkillers for my head?"

Virgil smiled sympathetically, casting one long look at Scott even as he stood back up, adjusting another monitor as he did so. Gordon was sure that he heard his artist brother mutter something about stubborn idiots, and found that he did genuinely smile, even if his eyes were watering at the same time. Slowly, he moved across the infirmary, keeping a careful eye on Virgil.

Gently, Gordon let his fingers run through Scott's hair in the same way that his brother had done for him countless times over the years. With a sad smile on his face, he slipped the pillows back under the pilot's head, swallowing hard as he adjusted the covers, trying to pull them up over the bandages so he no longer had to look at them.

"Keep them safe, Scotty," he whispered, sniffing. It wasn't enough to stop a couple of tears leaking down his face, though.

"Gords?" Virgil was back, sounding more than suspicious as he handed his brother a glass and a couple of tablets. Gordon tried to grin bashfully, but could still feel another couple of treacherous tears betray him.

"Just gave me a shock, that's all." Gordon tried to keep his voice even and smooth in order to hide the way his breath hitched as his eyes fell on something behind Virgil. It would be perfect. Taking the offered medication with a smile of thanks, he stepped out of the way.

"Here, you should sit back down; you look dead on your feet."

"It's been a long night," Virgil agreed, rolling his neck but sitting back down in his chair. Gordon moved past him, placing the items in his hand back down again whilst picking up the hypodermic needle. He didn't need to ask what it was; it was on the same tray as the pain killers he knew would be used for John. It was the blond's next dosage of the sedative if Virgil still couldn't get him comfortable when he came around.

His hand was trembling more violently than before and Gordon forced himself to take a steadying breath. He was doing this to protect them, he _had to._

_"_You got the time, Virg?" he asked somewhat randomly, moving behind his brother and swallowing hard, shutting his eyes momentarily as Virgil made to lift the arm with his watch on it, clearly indicating that Gordon should look himself.

"Sorry," he whispered, grabbing Virgil's arm and twisting it up behind his back. His foot came to rest on the chair as he supported himself, bending Virgil's upper body over the bed.

"What the hell are you doing? Gords! Ow! Is this you or..?"

"It's me this time. I'm sorry, Virg, I have to, you can't follow me."

"Gordon!" Virgil grunted, trying to throw him off, but Gordon hadn't been a WASP for nothing. A rush of adrenaline had flooded him and Virgil was exhausted; the artist had no chance. Like this, he couldn't even summon help, which of course was precisely the reason why Gordon had gone for his watch. Shifting his grip, he kept Virgil's arm pinned and used the other hand to draw back Virgil's collar as he lined the needle up with Virgil's neck.

"What are you doing?" Virgil somehow glimpsed it out of the corner of his eye, and awkwardly twisted his head around. He seemed to read Gordon's expression. "No. No, don't you dare! Gordon, please! _Please!_ Don't!" He struggled more violently, the exhaustion now forgotten as he realised what his brother intended to do. Shutting his eyes, Gordon slammed the needle in, pushing down on the plunger and forcing the liquid into his brother's veins. Although he loosened his hold on Virgil's arm, he didn't dare let go. Virgil couldn't call for help, not just yet.

"Please, no... We can work through this, we can find a way. We always do, don't you dare..."

"We can't save everyone, Virg," Gordon whispered, allowing his grip to soften even more as Virgil began to lose strength, flopping against the bed. Only when his brother's eyes started flickering did Gordon let go. Now he had to move fast. Pressing a button on Virgil's watch, he summoned Brains. He knew the resident genius would take approximately three minutes to get there, meaning Gordon had to hang around for that length of time just in case something happened to Scott. But by the time Brains arrived, Gordon would be gone. The man would see Virgil apparently fast asleep on Scott's bed, and Gordon gone. Hopefully he would think nothing of it, they were all known for their Houdini acts. He just hoped Brains didn't question how he had got out of the restraints. But he would stick around to keep an eye on Scott and John if Virgil was asleep, which was what Gordon needed.

"Gordon..." Virgil's voice was barely a whisper and Gordon smiled softly down at him, trying to be reassuring. His hand, however, was slowly undoing the strap on Virgil's watch. There was something that he needed it for, something that he still had to do. And it meant that if, by sheer chance, the drug didn't take Virgil under properly, he wouldn't be able to warn anyone.

"Sleep well, big brother."

"No..." But then the drug took hold and Virgil went completely limp. Glancing at his face, Gordon had to take a moment to collect himself as his shaking hand wiped away Virgil's tears. For a moment, Gordon wondered what he was doing, whether he could truly do this. But then the top of Scott's bandage seemed to glare at him from where he hadn't quite managed to cover it up and Gordon knew it had to be done. Who knew how long it would be until the Hood came back and killed all three of his brothers, his father, and then went after Alan?

"I'm trusting you to keep them safe, Scott. And hey, man, I know you tried. Don't blame yourself, ya hear? I won't let you." He even managed a familiar smirk as he looked down at his big brother, the man who had made everything right in Gordon's world when his mother's death had torn it apart. Scott would be able to do it again, he would be able to force the others to carry on. He would be able to keep them safe, just as Gordon was trying to keep them safe right now. Glancing at the watch, he knew that half of his time was up.

Crossing the room, he stayed silent as he plucked another syringe out, drew another dose of the same solution he had just given Virgil and pocketed the needle. Brains was clearly worried, for Gordon could already hear his footsteps. He moved across to John, words catching in his throat in a way they had not for the other two. It had always been him and Alan, yet Gordon had shared something with John, something he couldn't put into words. Now it came to it, he had no idea what to say to the space-lover.

"Name a star after me."

That was the only thing that came spilling from his mouth as he hurried to the window. Pulling it up, Gordon winced as the rain and wind immediately battered him, but inwardly knew that it was good. It would give him more cover, make it longer before anyone would be able to come after him. Jumping up, he managed to swing his leg up and climbed out. Resting his hands on the frame, he paused as he looked back at his three sleeping brothers, the soft lighting off the infirmary making them look so peaceful, despite what they had been through.

If Brains had been a few seconds later, Gordon might not have been able to go through with it. But as the infirmary door began to open, the redhead slammed the window shut and ran off into the night, trying to ignore the rain soaking him. After a short sprint, he took shelter under a few trees, raising the watch. Almost without thinking about it, he called Alan.

"Al..." But as with John, he had no idea what he was going to say to his little brother, his best friend. The one that Gordon had sworn to protect on the day his brother was born. He could hear Alan in the background, trying to get Gordon to answer him. Choking out an apology, Gordon disconnected. Closing his hand around the watch, he flung it as hard as he could into the trees. He could already hear it beeping as Alan tried to re-establish the connection, then Gordon set off at a run.

How long until Alan called their father when he couldn't get a response from his brother? How long until Jeff did the same and didn't get a response from him now that his watch was lost in the undergrowth? How long until he realised what was going through his son's head? Gordon couldn't stop to think any more, not if he had the smallest chance of keeping the others safe.

Running as fast as he could, he sprinted to the beach. It wasn't the usual beach the boys used, but one on the other side of the island. The sea was much rougher here, the whole place a lot more dangerous. It would be ideal for what he needed. The moon was giving him just enough light to see by, peeking through the heavy clouds as he raced up to a small, well maintained hut resting on the far side, scrambling with the lock in the dark.

"Come on, come on..."

No doubt Jeff would already be heading towards the infirmary to find out what was going on. The storm meant visibility was limited, they wouldn't see him if they looked out of the window. But the family knew each other too well. It wouldn't take a lot to figure out what he was going to do. Finally, the lock was open and Gordon was dragging out a small boat. Pushing it out onto the choppy waves, he started the engine and shot out to sea.

Never before had Gordon felt sea-sick, but there was certainly a churning in his stomach when he cut the engine an hour later. For a moment, he didn't do anything, just sat there in the darkness, bobbing up and down on the waves and realising just how small he felt. Even now, he could feel himself drifting further away from the island as the current took a hold on the boat and dragged it out to sea. The ocean had never done that to him before, usually making him feel powerful as he battled against it. This time, though, the battle was lost. He was going to let the water win.

Sniffing again, Gordon made no attempt to try and stop the tears this time as he stared back towards the island. It was just a speck, barely visible on the dark horizon, but Gordon knew it was there. He found himself wondering what was happening on it right now. They would have realised that he was not in the infirmary, and that no one had any idea where he was. His father would probably go to the silos first, wondering if the Hood was making one last claim on their machinery. Good, it would take time to search them. They would probably only just be realising now that he wasn't down there. There were so many places he could hide and if they were proceeding cautiously in case the Hood was present, they wouldn't be moving fast. If he shut his eyes, Gordon could practically hear their worried voices...

Gasping, he realised that he _could_ hear them. His eyes wrenching open, it only took a second to realise he was still on his own in the middle of the ocean. But softly, he began to smile. Kyrano had opened his mind brought his brothers into his head. Just because the man had left didn't mean they had. They were still with him now. Feeling their love and companionship wash over him, Gordon felt a warmth settle into him even as the rain lashed at the boat, causing it to roll dangerously with the swell of the waves.

Almost as if he was in a trance, Gordon let his hand drift into his pocket and pull out the needle. By keeping his eyes shut, he could still hear his brothers talking to him, still see them trying to beckon him home once more.

"Not this time..." he whispered, laughing as Alan's trade-mark pout appeared on his face. He still refused to open his eyes as he plunged the needle into his own arm, emptying the sedative into his bloodstream.

_Not yet, not yet..._

He didn't want to struggle, didn't want to feel it as it happened. So he forced himself to stay in the boat, forced himself to think of his brothers as his body got weaker. Only when he was afraid that he wouldn't have enough movement left did Gordon move. Hands gripping the side of the boat, he once again turned in the direction of the island and smiled one more time.

"Thanks for everything, guys," he whispered. It was getting harder and harder to keep his eyes open now, and Gordon knew the time had come.

Using what little strength he had, he threw himself over the side just as the sedative claimed him.

The water had made him feel more alive than anything he had ever experienced elsewhere.

Now it would take that life from him, protecting all of those he cared about.

**The end.**


End file.
